


Wolf's Bane

by CocoRose



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Bones is a wolf and in love with Jim, Fantasy-Crossover, M/M, This is not zoophilia but may be viewed as such, another universe, ye be warned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-18
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-05-08 13:22:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14695059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CocoRose/pseuds/CocoRose
Summary: The portals between the magic kingdom and human world are usually sealed. But one day, a creature of the fairy realm appears in the Black Forest and stumbles across a young man...Unfortunately, it takes neither the fairy queen nor the local human population long to notice his whereabouts; and they 're set on getting their hands on him once and for all...Modern-world AU with a bit of Fantasy thrown in where Bones is a magical wolf (but with a mostly human mind) and finds love in an unexpected place (and in an unexpected species, too!)This was inspired by the chapter 'Werewolves' of GoingKnowhere's story "McKirk-Tober".





	1. The Wolf and the Human

**Author's Note:**

> Rating: Mature  
> Setting: Present time; a forest in Germany  
> Disclaimer: Ownin' nuthin' but some fairies. 
> 
> Author's note: I first wanted to set this into Iowa; but due to the lack of deep, magical forests in Jim's homestate, I decided to let it play in Germany as the forests here have always been said to be enchanted and are the origin of many myths and fairy tales... Maybe there was some patriotism playing into this, too. Please forgive me. ;)
> 
> Inspiration hit me when I read the chapter 'Werewolves' of GoingKnowhere's story "McKirk-Tober". 
> 
> Chapter's warnings: None, really. Some interest is piqued. ;) But again, I must warn you - this will tread dangerously close towards zoophilia later on. If this is too much for you, leave and please don't be rude in the comments. Concrit is appreciated. 
> 
> Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating: Mature  
>  Setting: Present time; a forest in Germany  
>  Disclaimer: Ownin' nuthin' but some fairies.
> 
> Author's note: I first wanted to set this into Iowa; but due to the lack of deep, magical forests in Jim's homestate, I decided to let it play in Germany as the forests here have always been said to be enchanted and are the origin of many myths and fairy tales... Maybe there was some patriotism playing into this, too. Please forgive me. ;)
> 
> Inspiration hit me when I read the chapter 'Werewolves' of GoingKnowhere's story "McKirk-Tober".
> 
> Chapter's warnings: None, really. Some interest is piqued. ;) But again, I must warn you - this will tread dangerously close towards zoophilia later on. If this is too much for you, leave and please don't be rude in the comments. Concrit is appreciated.
> 
> Enjoy!

_Now this is the law of the jungle, as old and as true as the sky,_  
_And the wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the wolf that shall break it must die._

_As the creeper that girdles the tree trunk, the law runneth forward and back;_  
_For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack._

_Wash daily from nose tip to tail tip; drink deeply, but never too deep;_  
_And remember the night is for hunting and forget not the day is for sleep._

_The jackal may follow the tiger, but, cub, when thy whiskers are grown,_  
_Remember the wolf is a hunter—go forth and get food of thy own._

_Ye may kill for yourselves, and your mates, and your cubs as they need and ye can;_  
_But kill not for pleasure of killing, and seven times never kill man._

_\- Rudyard Kipling, The Law For The Wolves, excerpt_

**Chapter 1: The Wolf and the Human**

He ran, he ran.  
His paws made almost no noise when they touched the ground; if they touched the ground at all. He knew it not; for him, running was like flying. His lean body was made to cut through the woods as a falcon's was made to cut through the air, his nose knew every scent of the forest, his ears picked up every sound.

They were close.

They had seen him when he had wandered around to get his bearings, on the strange path that split the forest right through the heart - humans. Two of them. They had been wrapped in strange colors with names that he knew not; no plant or animal fur he had ever seen had them, garishly bright and easy to spot even in the darkest night. Foolish things; if he had meant to hunt then they would not have stood a chance!  
But the humans had been lucky he was not hunting. The forest was unfamiliar and he had been here only as long as Mother Sun needed to walk over the sky three times. He had fed on a deer; a fine stag, its antlers showing its old age. He himself had not been a cub for many circles. It had been a good fight, the stag had not surrendered easily. It would keep him sated for many, many more suns.  
The humans on the path had made noises when they had seen him cross their ways, awful sounds that hurt his sensitive ears. They had turned and run; it had stirred something deep inside him - an urge to follow and give chase, but he quelled it. Let them run home - the woods were not meant for men this late anyway; Mother Sun was already bidding goodnight, her last warm kisses casting patches of gold on the earthen floor.

They were close.

There were the awful sounds again. The two humans who he had not hurt had told others of their kind about him, now they were chasing him. He was not used to being chased, it hurt his pride, but he knew he could outrun them - the pitiful creatures only had two legs. So all he had to do was-

-his ears picked up more of them, to the right, in front of him. Swerving to the left, he ran further uphill; the humans would find it hard to follow him on steeper ground, surely.

The wound in his side was bleeding heavily.  
When he had first heard the noises of the approaching humans, he had stayed in his place, waiting. Though the first two natives of this world had not seemed very smart, maybe the new ones would be. Maybe they could help him find his way back to where he belonged. He had lain down on his belly when they had come, showing them he meant no harm. He had spoken to them, but they had not understood. Suddenly, there had been a new sound, loud and sharp, unfamiliar and frightening. Something had struck the floor next to him, whirling up earth and dust. His instincts, keen and trusted, had warned him and he had turned to flee, but the sound had rang out again and the something had hit him, passing him by and ripping open the flesh on his right side.

He knew he had to hide somewhere, he needed a shelter to lick his wound clean and wait for it to close. He longed to run back towards his kill but it was out of reach for now. Breathing in the cooling air, he registered the humans had fallen behind, as he knew they would. The bushes and trees were denser and grew much closer here; though he was not a small animal, he was nimble enough to squeeze through.

A new scent wavered close by, alien yet strangely appealing.

Another human, probably. Better to keep going.  
The rocks were steep here; there was a cliff rising somewhere to his left. That was bad; a cliff could easily mean being trapped. Maybe he could circumvent it. He kept going.

His breath came out in fast pants by now; he was still bleeding, it was making him short-winded. His legs began to tremble; they would not support him much longer.  
A small clearing opened before him. Father Moon cast his silvery light on it, highlighting the steep cliff next to him. Some rocks had fallen off a long time ago; they were moss-covered. Between them were shadows, he could hide there. Limping over, he all but collapsed onto the dry leaves; he needed to rest. Curling into himself, he licked his rosy tongue over the wound, ignoring the sting. When he was satisfied that it was clean, he laid his head down with a huff.  
The sky above him was littered with stars, but he recognized none of them. He missed the constellations that his mother had shown him as a cub - the Great Mountain, the Mother of Pack, the two Fleeing Rabbits... His mother and father had been the alphas of their pack. As their son, it had been his duty to leave the pack when he was fully grown, to wander alone until he found a mate and started his own pack.

His eyes were already closing when his nose picked up the unfamiliar scent from before.  
He was wide awake in a heartbeat; focusing on his senses - yes. Something was getting closer. He needed to leave; he was not up for a fight in this state. He tried to get up but failed, he had lost too much blood. He kept still, hoping whatever it was that came after him would not see him in the dark. The scent was getting stronger and stronger; almost luring him.

It was a human.  
On the other end of the clearing, between the trees, stood a male human; his shape clearly visible in the moonlight. He was irritated; he smelled the distinct scent of the humans clearly, yet this one was impossibly...pleasant. He could not help but raise his nose to it, breathing in deeply.  
When the male human came closer, he saw that he was coated with strange things as all humans were, but his coat was of dark, earthen shades; much harder to make out. The human's sparse fur that only grew on top of his head was the color of the straw fields he sometimes chased rabbits in.  
The human was only a few strides away when something else assaulted his nose; sharp and frightening. It came off a long, gleaming thing that the human had raised, the end with the holes directed at him. The smell was familiar...  
Suddenly he remembered where he had smelled it before: the thing that had hurt him and caused his wound! Whatever that long silver thing was, it was going to hurt him!

Desperately scrambling to get up, he managed to get onto his forelegs, but his hind legs were like stone, heavy and unresponding. Trying again, he willed them to support his weight - he was not going down without a fight.

 

Jim Kirk narrowed his eyes when he heard a low growl, pointing his hunting gun into the dark space between the rocks.

He had been alarmed when the two wanderers hat marched into his office, shouting about a wolf running around in the Black Forest and how they had only narrowly escaped a violent death. His first reaction had been disbelief - there had been no wolves in the Black Forest for a hundred years. Maybe it was just a roaming dog that had scared them? But the wanderers had insisted and their description of the animal was indeed not one of a normal dog.  
The whole affair reminded him of the case of a girl that had been reported missing two weeks ago and was found dead five days later, seemingly ripped apart by a big animal, he made up his mind. As hunter and gamekeeper, it was his duty to find the beast and kill it, should it prove to be dangerous.

So he had put on his green coat, grabbed his gun and his flashlight and headed out into the forest. He had scowled when he noticed that the wanderers had told not only him about their sighting but had run out of the forest telling other hikers and bystanders about the bloodthirsty wolf that they had encountered. Unfortunately, some of the visitors were leisure-time hunters and had brought their hunting guns with them. It was against the law in Germany to hunt without a license which only the professional huntsman had, but during the hunting season, it was almost impossible to catch them all.  
Now a group of visitors and hunters had already left. Cursing, Jim jogged after them; hoping he would reach them before somebody got hurt accidentally.  
Now and then, he looked downhill through the trees; trying to get a good look at the sun's position: light was fading already.

He was only one turn away from the main group when a shot rang out. Dread filling him, Kirk hurried on, finally catching up with them. They told him that they had just seen the wolf and one part-time hunter proudly announced that he had hit it. Scowling, Jim took his gun from him; officially reprimanding him that it was illegal to hunt without permission. Then he looked for the spot where the wolf was said to have been shot and sure enough, he found a thin trail of blood.

He told the others to leave the forest and go home. Then, he had taken up the pursuit.

He had followed the bloody marks with his flashlight, extinguishing it when the moon cast light on this clearing. His hands were steady though his heart beat with excitement; he himself had never met a wolf in the wilderness, only in the many wildlife parks, and those had been used to humans.  
In the last years, many sightings of wolves in the north and east of Germany had been reported, but it was highly unlikely to come across one - they were still only a few and lived in the deserted, wild parts of the country. So the idea of meeting an actual wolf was intriguing; even if he had to shoot it.

The trail led across the clearing to a spot next to the cliff that went through the Black Forest. Slowly stepping closer, Jim Kirk narrowed his eyes when he heard a low growl, pointing his hunting gun into the dark space between the rocks.

 

The first thing he saw of the wolf was its eyes.  
The moonlight reflected in them, illuminating them as if this was a fairy tale of the brothers Grimm; and Jim felt a chill creeping down his neck. Unconsciously, he gripped his gun tighter - whatever it was that waited there in the shadows in front of him, it was no ordinary predator.  
He registered some movement in the dark, heard another growl; deep and low, and understood that the beast had to be _massive_.  
Then he saw it.  
Silently, it stepped forward into the silvery light. The creature was huge; its golden eyes almost level with Jim's own. The wolf was completely brown or some shade of the color; it was hard to tell for sure in the darkness.

Hands faintly shaking now, Kirk raised the gun again that he had lowered at the sight of the beast, aiming directly between its eyes, eyes that...called out to him?  
Jim blinked furiously.  
_'What the hell is this??'_  
The wolf stood completely still but showed a row of sharp, pearly white teeth when he raised the gun, growling lowly again. Jim could see the massive chest vibrate with the sound.

It was as if time stood still. Neither of them moved. The creature just stared at the human with these unusual eyes that shone with a bizarre intellect and Jim was frozen, his head still reeling from the shock of standing in front of a wolf _the size of a damn pony_ that looked as if it would open its mouth any moment and _talk_ -

-but instead, the beast suddenly staggered and collapsed on the ground and immediately, the eerie connection that Kirk had felt was lost. He noticed then the stains of blood that matted the thick fur, oozing from a graze wound in its side. Frowning, he stepped closer, lowering his gun again. He had seen wounds like this before – it was not deep, but bleeding heavily. The wolf would die...  
_'...without my help. Wait, what?'_  
He wondered where that thought had come from. Why should he help the beast? His work was done; the wolf would not survive long if it wasn't able to get up, all he could do for it was to end it quick. Then he could go home, sleep, wake up in the morning and forget about this crazy night. Lifting his weapon once again, he felt a pang of regret. _‘It’s a shame, really. What a beautiful animal…’_  
But it was his duty as the huntsman.  
Aiming at the creature's head, he prepared to shoot.

But something stilled his hand.

It was the wolf's eyes. As dangerous and wild as it appeared, its eyes were calm and serious and incredibly sad and all of a sudden Jim pitied it.  
Putting his gun down, he mumbled to himself: "You're a magnificent beast. You shouldn't die lying in the dirt, unable to fight back..."  
Some rational part of his brain tried to reason with him: _'Ok, just walk away now, everything will be fine,'_ but he just could not bring himself to leave. It seemed like madness even to himself to crouch next to the big wolf and within reach of its teeth - his teeth, as the blond man noticed only now that the canine was lying on his side. But somehow, and for the life of him he couldn't tell why, he knew that the wolf was no danger to him. Still, he hesitated to touch him.

"I'll just take a look at your wound," he spoke in what he hoped was a calm, soothing voice (even though he could hear the tremble in it); feeling slightly foolish to talk to an animal but figuring the sound of his voice might convince him that the hunter meant no harm. And strangely, the wolf looked in his eyes as if he had understood perfectly and rested his head on the grass. Feeling more confident, Kirk gently touched the dark fur, marveling at the texture: it was much softer than it looked. When he continued his stroking, the wolf let out a small huff that sounded oddly like a sigh and closed his eyes. Kirk briefly felt a surge of pride at the beasts' trust.  
Concentrating on the injury now, Jim pressed his hand down on it to stem the blood flow, half expecting the wolf to growl at him but only a shudder betrayed his pain. Using his free hand to open his coat, Jim shrugged it off and tore a long strip off the inner lining, wrapping the makeshift bandage once around the animal. Binding it fast, he sat back and contemplated his work. Sighing, he shook his head.  
"This won't last long, buddy. And you'll need stitches."  
Regarding the huge body before him, he knew that he there was no chance at all he would be able to take the wolf anywhere.  
"Guess I'll have to leave you to get the things I need. Don't worry, I'll be back soon," he added when he saw the furry head lift. The wolf seemed to size him up briefly, then laid back down and Jim had the mad feeling of having passed some sort of evaluation.  
"I... will go, then," he mumbled, hesitating to actually leave; what if it all was just a dream and he would wake up any moment now? But then he shrugged and stood up. _'One way to find out.'_

Only glancing back when he reached the edge of the forest to make sure that his new friend was still there, he disappeared into the shadows.

 

The wolf watched the human walk away and continued to smell him long after he was hidden from view.  
His instinct urged him to leave this place now that he had the chance; lest the human came back to harm him.  
_'He won't harm me,'_ he mused to himself. _'There was no lie to his words.'_  
He was able to detect the subtle change in a creature's scent when they lied and the human had been sincere. Also, he doubted he would be able to get up again. So, he rested his head on his paws, closing his eyes and listening to the sounds of nature around him.

He did not know how long he had been resting like this and it did not concern him: for a wolf, time was not a physical thing to be measured; time was just there, unreachable and invisible and thus as distant to him as the stars. So it could have been hours or the passing of a whole sun until he opened his eyes again to the sound of footsteps.  
He tensed a moment until the scent that reached him told him it was his human. _'My human,'_ he wondered. _'He isn't mine, not part of the pack.'_  
Still his heart lifted when the blond man finally stepped through the trees, carrying something the wolf had no word for. But he knew humans often preferred to keep little things on themselves when they walked around. He did not understand why someone would burden himself deliberately.  
The man sat down at his side again and smiled at him. The wolf smelled the fresh sweat on him though it was a cold morning, and it pleased him. _'He hurried back to me.'_

 

Jim released the breath he had been holding when the clearing came into view again. On the way home and back up again, he had almost successfully convinced himself that he had dreamed the whole thing. He even pinched himself to see if he would wake up, feeling oddly relieved when he didn't.  
At home, he had simply grabbed a few rolls of bandage and a sewing kit, along with a bottle of fruit Schnaps that had been standing around, then hurried back into the forest.

Closing in, he took a moment to admire the creature anew: in the early morning light, he could see that the wolf’s fur was of a warm, rich hazel color; only on his belly was of a lighter shade. Running his hand over it, he noticed the tips of the fur were gleaming silkily in the sun. Only where dried blood was matting it was it almost black.  
Jim frowned, angry with himself: _‘Here I am, gawking at him like an idiot when I should tend to his wound!’_  
Not wasting any more time, he dropped his bag onto the moist grass and took out the bottle. Catching the wolf’s eyes, he sighed: “This will hurt somewhat, buddy. But it will help you, I promise.”  
Again, he had the impression of being judged by the intelligence in the animal’s gaze. When the wolf closed his eyes and obligingly lay down again, Jim decided to wonder about that later and carefully unwrapped the makeshift bandage from last night. The wound was no longer bleeding freely, only a thin trail of blood was still leaking out. Relieved, the young man uncorked the bottle of alcohol, pouring a generous amount over the wide gash. The wolf tensed and Jim felt the thick muscle under his hands twitch; but to his astonishment, the beast didn’t lash out as he had half expected him to. He let out a soft whine though, and without thinking, Kirk patted the big head soothingly. “Shh. It’s going to be alright.”  
The beast growled softly in response in a non-aggressive way and Jim continued his work, taking out the sewing kit and sterilizing the needle with the alcohol. Choosing a strong threat that would last a while, he began to close the wound, working swiftly; he did not want to cause more pain than necessary. All the time, the wolf was lying like dead, only his breathing showing he was alive.  
Finally, Jim was satisfied and wrapped a new bandage around the massive body. “All done, my friend,” he smiled, taking out a bottle of water and washing the blood off his hands. Then he took a big gulp and offered the rest to the wolf who raised his head and drank greedily out of Jim’s cupped hand. The long, pink tongue tickled and the young man laughed.

The wolf watched curiously as the human’s face changed, showing more teeth than usual and making strange noises. He did not know the meaning of the sounds; only humans made them, but he recognized the happiness that came towards him with the man’s smell and didn’t feel threatened. _‘He seems happy to be helpin' me,’_ the wolf thought. _‘What an odd human!’_  
The man’s mirth was contagious and the wolf wagged his tail, hitting the ground with soft thuds. He continued to lick his hands after they were empty, wanting to show his gratitude. Though the wolf did not know what the human had done to tread his wound, he understood it would help him heal. With his licking, he took in the delicious taste of the other, unconsciously slowing down and purring. _‘Sooo good... I cannot believe a human can taste so good.’_

“Hey, thanks, buddy, but I need my hands back,” Jim chuckled nervously, slightly apprehensive of the huge teeth so close to him. “Grandmother, why do you have such big teeth?” he quoted the famous fairy tale he had never really liked. But it reminded him of something. “You must be hungry, right?” he asked out loud and almost jumped when the wolf growled as in response. “Okay… I guess that’s a yes.”  
Thinking quickly, he stood up and picked up the gun he had forgotten last night. “Wait here,” he told the animal unnecessarily, “I’ll get something for you.”

The wolf watched as the human disappeared again, glad he was going to get to eat soon. He thought of his deer wistfully, still fresh and bloody but out of reach. He licked along his muzzle, still remembering the taste of the straw-furred man and almost purring again, but he stopped himself, disbelieving. _‘Why am I answering to him this way?’_  
As a wild beast, he was used to follow his instincts and as a wolf, his instinct was to claim a mate and build a pack. But with another wolf. Not with a human. _‘A human can never be pack.’_  
Yet he felt something stir inside him when he was with the young man; something possessive.

Again, he did not know or care how much time had passed when he was pulled from his musings by the incredibly sweet smell of raw meat, heading his way. Impatient, he waited until he could see the human show himself, carrying two freshly killed rabbits. If he could have, the wolf would have jumped up but he was still too weak. He needed to rebuild the blood he had lost and those two rabbits would help with that. So, he waited for the man to reach him, placing his kill on the ground.

This was as far as his self-restraint went. Immediately, the wolf tore into the meat. While he ate, his keen hazel-gold eyes never left the man sitting on the ground next to him, his instinct was still slightly wary of the human though his nose was not. The straw-colored male had started to talk amicably and the wolf let the sounds wash over him, not really caring what he was told. Humans needed to fill every silence with noises. Wolves preferred the quiet.  
Inside the pack, they were able to communicate with thoughts and feelings, but usually they went by growls and whines, huffs and howls - wolves rarely needed to use their telepathic abilities to understand each other.

Curious, the wolf sent a thought towards the human but was not surprised when the man didn't stir. Humans were known to have dull senses. Still, he felt a pang of disappointment - the strange connection he felt towards this special human had fooled him.

Pulling himself out of his musings, he caught the end of the human's speech: "...never seen a wild wolf before. Oh, my name's Jim, by the way."  
Another human peculiarity - names. The wolf couldn't understand the need for them. He himself did not have a name; his parents had called him 'child' or 'son' because that was what he was. He had called them 'Mother' and 'Father'; his fellow wolves 'Brother' or 'Sister'. Trees were trees and stones were stones; no matter what they were called.  
_'Jim,'_ the wolf thought the name probingly, _'Jim with the eyes of the sky.'_  
He had never seen blue eyes before - wolves' eyes were always in shades of the earth; brown and dark like soil or golden like the sun. His mother had told him once that his eyes were like a sunray on a hazel leaf.

Jim, ignorant of the wolf's views on the matter, continued to voice his thoughts: "So... I guess I have to think up a name for you, right? But I cannot call you 'Wolfie' or something like that; that's too silly. Hmm..." He let his eyes wander over the big creature in front of him, narrowing his eyes in contemplation.  
"Isegrimm? That's the traditional name for wolves around here, but that doesn't suit you. What about... Fenrir? That's the wolf of the old faith; he is said to bring about the end of the Gods. But he is kind of the bad guy, and you're not a bad guy, are you?"  
Jim crossed his arms, watching the wolf chew on the rabbits' bones and breaking one, looking quite unimpressed. "Hm... _Bainanbrukan_ means 'breaking bones' in old German... But that's really long and complicated. Hey, shall I just call you 'Bones'?"  
The wolf lifted his head and let out a full-bellied and satisfied huff. Jim laughed.  
"I'll just take this as a yes again..."

^^y^^

During the next two days, Jim continued to care for the wolf; he brought him food, water and tended to his wound, though there wasn't much more to do: the big gash had closed almost overnight, much to Jim's astonishment - he had never seen someone heal that fast. So he removed the now useless stitches.

On the morning of the third day, however; Jim came to the wolf's shelter to find it abandoned. Looking around but seeing nothing of his new friend, he sat down and waited for a long time.  
When the sun set and dusk was approaching, he hung his head in defeat - it seemed his wolf had left him for good. He stood up and went home to his little hut on the edge of the forest.

Three days passed in which he heard nothing of him and Jim was beginning to think that it had all been nothing but a dream.  
But then he heard about the disappearance of another man; an adult this time, and the feeling that something unusual was happening in the Black Forest grew. Frowning, he took out the laptop he rarely used and searched the local press for any occurrences like this in the past. He had to look for a long time before he found an old note from 1898 that reported the death of two young girls that went into the forest and never came back. The girls were found after weeks, ripped to shreds. The case had unleashed a cruel and mindless hunting of wolves in this area.

Jim was still brooding over the article when a strange noise startled him.  
Looking up, he was surprised to see that night had fallen already and it was raining heavily, drops splattering against his windows with force. He heard the noise again - it was a faint scratching. Standing up, he listened intently - it was coming from his front door.  
Carefully, he opened it - he was not someone to be scared easily but with something running around in the woods killing people he was more cautious than usual.  
First, he couldn't see a thing; it was too dark, no moonlight illuminated the space beyond his doorsteps. Suddenly, a lightning bolt struck the sky; and in front of him, the shape of a gigantic beast appeared. Staggering backwards, Jim grabbed his walking staff that he kept next to the door, intending to defend himself; but then, the creature whined softly and Jim understood this was his friend in the dark.  
Lowering his stick, he opened the door fully and stepped onto his porch; away from his light-filled home until his eyes had adjusted to the darkness and he was able to see the great wolf clearly.

"Damn, Bones... You scared me," he huffed, smiling all the same. The wolf inclined his head as if he wanted to apologize and the man shook his head in wonder. "Where have you been? Seems your wound healed at last..."  
Looking him over, Jim was satisfied with what he saw - the wolf looked indeed healthy again - and also very, very wet. Stepping aside, he gestured for him to come inside.  
"Well, let's get out of this rain, then..."

The wolf was quick to do so, hurrying inside lightly and noiselessly, though he was almost too big for the door. Jim closed it and turned when said very, very wet wolf chose the moment to shake his dripping fur; spraying moisture everywhere and effectively soaking Jim's shirt.  
"BONES!! You couldn't have done that outside, could you??"  
Jim shivered; the rain water was icy cold. Bones hung his head again, stepping close to Jim and licking his hands in atonement. The human chuckled slightly.  
"'S alright, Bones, I'm not mad at you."  
Jim raised his arms over his head, pulling his sticky, wet shirt off and using it to wipe himself down. Instead of stopping, the wolf growled lowly and started to lick his belly. Jim laughed and twisted away.  
"Stop that, I'm ticklish! I'm going to get a towel for you; stay here, Bones."

The wolf growled again when the human walked away, this time in annoyance.  
He had gotten a faceful of that wonderful, intoxicating smell when the man had removed his upper coating and before he could think clearly, instinct had taken over and he had started to lick him to get a taste of that incredible scent -  
_'Stop! What are you doing? Are you really lusting after a human?'_ he reprimanded himself, confused. _'It can never be.'_  
Still, his blood was boiling in his veins and he was panting faintly. Closing his eyes, the wolf tried to calm himself. It wasn't easy: a wolf was not meant to deny his urges or his instincts... nor his drive to mate. He huffed to himself. _'It has simply been too long...'_

 

When Jim returned, the wolf was lying on the floor, seemingly calm. The man smiled and bent to ruffle through the thick, hazel fur with the cloth he had brought to dry it.  
Feeling the human's hands on him had the magical creature shuddering again. Closing his eyes, the wolf stayed still but couldn't prevent the happy sigh from escaping.  
"You like this, Bones?" the human asked.  
In response, the wolf hummed approvingly; causing the man's hands to still.  
"You know... I could really swear you understand every word I say."  
The canine rolled his eyes, huffing.  
_'I do, kid... But you don't get a whiff o' my thoughts. Too bad you two-legged beings are as thick as a rock...'_

"Come on then, Bones," Jim asked, satisfied with his work, running his hands once more admiringly over the shiny fur that was thick but felt so soft under his fingers.  
"I'll find a spot for you in my bedroom. I have a nice, wool rug that you might like."  
Standing up, Jim waited for the wolf to rise as well and led the way.

Stepping into the small room, the wolf took a moment to look around, slightly wary: he had no comparison as he had never been in a house before but this one seemed harmless enough. Besides, this room smelled very much of the human, which pleased him greatly. He eyed the big bed in the center; this must be where humans sleep. He had no idea what those square, plushy things on the far end were and he did not particularly care; instead, he focused on the... _'Rug, he called it.'_ ...thing. It looked comfortable and reminded him of moss, although it had too many colors.

He was distracted when the human unfastened his lower coating and tossed it aside. Underneath, he wore something like a short version of the thing from before, and again, the wolf wondered what humans were aiming at with all those layers.  
_'It's probably to keep warm,'_ he thought, regarding the sparse fur on the man - only a thin layer of fine golden hair on his chest, arms and legs. Eyeing the man's physique critically, the wolf decided that it looked fit and strong. It pleased him.

 

Jim's arms were suddenly covered in goosebumps when he felt the wolf's gaze on him - it was as if Bones was judging him, and it sent a shiver down his body. Shaking off the strange feeling, he crawled into bed, yawning. "Don't just stand there, Bones; lie down if you want."  
Waiting until the canine was settled comfortably on the rug next to the bed, he turned off the light; rolling over and closed his eyes.

He never knew how the wolf's shining, hazel-golden eyes kept watching him long after he had fallen asleep.

^^y^^

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I drew an illustration for this chapter, you can find it on my DeviantArt profile, right here: https://www.deviantart.com/flaus/art/Wolf-s-Bane-The-Wolf-and-the-Human-768991640


	2. With His Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your supportive comments! I feel encouraged to finish this story. :)  
> Chapter's warnings: Things are heating up slowly. Pheromones in the air! (I know humans are not usually influenced by them but these ones are magical and this is fiction so what the hell.)

_Wolves fail to hide their integrity just like the way men fail to hide their own animality._

– Munia Khan

 

**Chapter 2: With His Eyes**

 

Jim woke the next morning to a faceful of warm hair.  
Instinctively, he buried his nose deeper in it; taking in the intriguing scent - warm wood heated by the sunlight and moist earth with a spicy tang to it... It reminded him of the forest. And underneath it... Jim buried his nose even deeper, brows furrowing in concentration: there was something that almost reminded him of one or two of his lovers of the past, when he had inhaled their scent during sex. It appealed to him on a very basic, primitive level and Jim couldn't help but moan quietly, shifting closer to the furry body -

_'-wait a moment. Furry?'_  
Opening his eyes, he saw only darkness - until he moved his head away and realized he was pressed close to his hairy friend - who had obviously sneaked into his bed and some point - and that he was currently hugging the wolf for dear life.  
It would have been embarrassing enough already but to his dumbfounded horror he realized that he was also sporting an impressive boner.

Now it was not that it had never happened before; he was a healthy young man and had the one or other case of 'morning glory', but this was a fully fledged erection; _and he was lying in bed with a damn wolf!_

Kirk thought he had never gotten out of his bed this quickly.

 

The wolf watched the human leave the room like a rabbit chased from its burrow with some regret.  
During the night, he had gotten bored with watching Jim sleep - though it had been fascinating how loudly humans slept. At one time, the man had even started that annoying noise that your nose made when you were sick, and the wolf wondered how humans survived their sleeping when they gave their position to every possible predator in the proximity. Maybe that was why they had those wood planks to block their dwellings' entrances.  
It had hurt his ears so he had walked around Jim's place, taking in every piece of... things that stood around, seemingly useless. He had sniffed at some of them, taking in the impressive amount of scents that waved around; but finally, this bored him too. So he had walked back to the spot where Jim was sleeping and had climbed in, lured by the impossible good smell there.  
_'Only for a while,'_ he had told himself and curled up next to the slender frame of the human, slowly falling asleep.  
While he had lain there, breathing in Jim's scent, his body had started to react to it and without intending to, the wolf had given off his pheromones, wrapping them both in a bubble of musk.

When he had woken with the first light, he had immediately recognized the heady scent in the air.  
His nose twitched and his eyes half-closed with arousal; a growl rumbling deep in his chest. His body acted by instinct, rutting against the warm man beside him, curling itself protectively and possessively around his chosen-

_'My chosen?'_ The wolf wondered. He knew the stories of the elders; of wolves finding their chosen mates through their scent. But he had never heard about a human being a wolf's mate. It was impossible!

Yet his body was telling him that this man was the one.

_'Folly! A fish may love a bird, but where would they live?'_  
He knew he was right. A human could live no more in the wilderness among wolves than a wolf could live inside a man's dwelling, at least not for long. Wolves needed their kin. And most of all, freedom.  
A nose in his fur startled him out of his musings: the human was waking up. Curiously the wolf looked on as Jim inhaled his scent, slightly baffled that he would even pick it up with his stump of a nose but even more so when he realized he was reacting to it, too - the human was making a noise that sounded almost like pain but the canine was able to smell Jim's own arousal easily. Jim shuffled closer to him, putting his arms around him; and the wolf closed his eyes, allowing himself to indulge in the sweet aroma and the unfamiliar but oddly pleasant feeling of hands on his fur.

Too soon, the moment ended when Jim woke fully and jumped up.  
Wistfully, he watched as the man ran off, battling his urge to follow him. He needed not to see where Jim was going, he simply listened as somewhere water was starting to flow and splashing sounds were made.

 

Jim felt his arousal flow away with the icy water he was dousing himself with.  
He still couldn't believe himself - had he really felt attracted to a wolf? The blonde man groaned in embarrassment and hid his still burning face in his wet hands.  
"Okay Jim, you've definitely been single for too long," he stated to himself, taking the towel next to the bathroom sink and drying off.  
Looking at himself in the mirror, he sighed. There were the first faint lines on his face; around the eyes. He was in his thirties now - he really wanted to find someone to spend his life with. He didn't want to grow old alone. But as a hunter, it was hard to stay in touch with other people - even the nearest village was several kilometers away.  
"No more excuses, Jim," he told his image. "Time to date again."  
Nodding decisively to himself, he walked back towards his bedroom.

Inside, the great wolf was still resting on his bed.  
Jim swallowed nervously; suddenly very much aware of his state of undress and quickly grabbed a shirt out of his drawer. Feeling more at ease now that he was clothed, he smiled at the canine.

"What do you think, Bones? Should I fix us some breakfast?"

The answer was a wagging tail and appreciative growl. Jim laughed and headed towards the small but well-stocked kitchen. He had some raw meat left in his fridge that was not deep-frozen; fall was coming closer every day and he had already begun to store food for the winter.  
While he took out the meat and fixed a bowl of cereals for himself, his thoughts strayed towards Bones again: now that he had had time to get to know the wolf, he couldn't help but wonder about certain... anomalies.  
First of all, that was a damn big-ass wolf. Bigger than any kind of canine he had ever seen or heard about.  
Second, he was healing incredibly fast. That shot wound should have taken weeks to heal properly, not two days.  
And third - and that was by far the most remarkable thing - Bones seemed to understand everything Jim said.  
_'He looks like an animal. He acts like an animal, most of the time... But he just... I don't know. He is more than that... somehow. I can't really put my finger on it, but-'_

"Woah, Bones!! You scared me to death!"

Noiselessly, the wolf had come to the kitchen and stood now right behind Jim in the doorframe, looking absurdly big and completely out of place. He inclined his head after Kirk's words and whined softly. For such a huge animal, Bones managed to look very much like a kicked puppy right now. Immediately, Jim's heart melted.  
"Hey, it's alright, buddy. I didn't mean to shout, I was just surprised. Look, I've got something for you."

He reached behind him and placed a bowl with the raw meat on the ground. Bones just stood there for a moment, eyeing the bowl. Then he circled it. Then he sniffed it. And then, he tore into the meat like he was starving, clearing the bowl in seconds.

Jim grinned slightly when the wolf finally started to eat and couldn't help staring at the awesome - if slightly creepy - picture, oddly fascinated. His thoughts seemed to slip away as he contemplated the animal and the meat; his world narrowing down to the smell of the kill and the drops of blood that were still clinging to it that gave it a coppery flavor and the unique texture when he sank his fangs into it-

Jim shook his head to clear it. _'What the hell was that??'_

For a heartbeat, he had felt like the wolf.

 

The canine sat back on his hinges, licking his slightly red muzzle contentedly. _'That was a good meal.'_  
He had always liked the taste of boar; it was wild and spicier than rabbit. _'The human cares and provides. He would be a worthy part of a pack.'_  
Looking up at the man in question, he noticed the strange look on his hairless face. The wolf was not used to reading the faces of humans - the lack of hair reduced their variety of expression to the bare minimum - but it seemed to him that this one was startled by something.

Stepping closer, the wolf pushed his muzzle into Jim's hand, nudging it gently. _'Come on now, kid,'_ he thought, remembering how his mother used to speak to him when he was a pup. _'All's fine...'_  
For added comfort, he hummed soothingly.  
But instead of calming, the human stiffened and gasped softly; a wave of fear passed through him that the wolf picked up instantly. Growling, he spun around; ears flattening against his head, ready to attack whatever threat was there, but... there was none. Confused, he turned and looked at the human.  
_'What scared you, friend?'_

 

Jim's legs trembled.  
First, he'd thought it had been his vivid imagination, but then he had felt - _literally felt!_ \- the comfort and calm the wolf had directed towards him. It scared him.  
And then Bones had looked what it was that had scared him; and Jim had felt a surge of rage and combative excitement that sure as hell wasn't coming from himself!

And right now, he was feeling the animal's confusion.

_'It can't be, it can't be, this is a hallucination, this can't POSSIBLY be real, no way am I feeling the wolf's feelings!'_  
Jim could do nothing but stare at the great beast in front of him, into the hazel-golden eyes; recognizing numbly that there were some light green flecks in them, and tried very hard not to panic.

"Bo-Bones," he croaked finally. "Can you... understand me?"

He really had no idea if he expected the canine to simply keep staring at him or if he expected him to open his muzzle and talk, but he surely didn't expect him to nod. But that was what Bones did.

"Ooookay... And did you just... just send me your feelings?" Jim felt incredibly idiotic, standing in his kitchen talking to a wolf. He saw Bones' eyes widen slightly and felt surprised. He laughed slightly hysterically.  
"Yeah, it surprises me too..."  
The laughter died in his throat when the big animal stepped even closer so they were almost nose to nose, the intelligent gaze boring into him.

 

He had felt him! The human had felt his emotions!  
The wolf was surprised but deeply pleased. He came closer, understanding he was scaring the man but also determined to make sure this had not happened by accident.  
Looking deeply into the bright blue eyes, he concentrated and send a feeling of _hope_ to him.  
Jim swallowed audibly. "You're... feeling hopeful? You hoped... that I would feel your feelings?"  
The wolf nodded again.  
Jim wetted his lips; his mouth suddenly feeling dry. "Can you... can you feel what I feel?"  
Closing his eyes briefly, Bones shook his head. _'You humans are no telepaths. It's a wonder you can feel me at all, kid.'_  
"Oh, good, that's... kind of a relief," Jim laughed nervously, running a hand through his blonde hair. _'At least he didn't feel my arousal this morning!'_ The thought came unbidden and made Jim blush deeply.  
_' I mean... even if he is intelligent... he's still an animal... right??'_  
"Bones... I hope you're not feeling insulted when I ask this... But what _are_ you?"

The wolf closed his eyes again. _'Now how shall I answer this without you hearin' my thoughts, Jim?'_  
Fortunately, Jim seemed to come to the same conclusion. "Right... You can't speak. Uh... So just nod or shake your head, okay? You're... not a normal wolf."  
The young man this must have been the most obvious thing in history even before he saw Bones roll his eyes.  
"Yeah, sorry. Okay, so... Have you always been like this? Able to... communicate?"  
The canine nodded.  
"Are you... some sort of genetic experiment?"  
Bones didn't know exactly what 'genetic' meant but 'experiment' sounded completely wrong so he shook his head viciously; sending a wave of disgust towards the human. Jim realized that he had actually insulted the wolf.  
"Ah shit, I'm really sorry, Bones... I didn't mean to hurt you. It's just hard for me to accept that... you're simply born that way."  
Jim thought for another moment, not wanting to insult his friend further with dumb questions. If Bones was born like this, and he was not genetically engineered, then he must be...  
"...an alien," Jim finished his thought out loud. Again, the wolf tilted his head and sent his confusion towards him.  
"I mean, you're not from this world, right?"  
The wolf nodded.  
"So you've come from space? From the sky?"  
Bones shook his head. _'Not from the sky, kid.'_  
"From... another dimension, or something?"  
_'Close enough.'_ The wolf nodded again. He watched the young man struggling to understand it all and felt a surge of pity. _'It's a damn lot to take in...'_  
Huffing, he bent his head to lick Jim's hands with his warm tongue, feeling him relax after a while. Jim smiled and raised one hand to scratch the wolf between the ears; curious if the animal would react like all canines of his world.  
He was rewarded with a contented sigh and a _pleased_ feeling.  
The human laughed. "Well, I can't say I understand all this, but... I'll figure it out, eventually. Right, Bones?"

An affirmative huff.

 

That night, Jim received a call that the man who had disappeared yesterday had been found dead. When he reached the site, he had to muster every bit of self-control not to vomit into the bushes; there was blood and intestines all over the place.  
The few marks they found on the victim suggested an attack by a huge animal.

When Jim finally came home, Bones was still up and waiting. Without a word, Jim sat down on the floor, still in his boots and coat, too exhausted to move anymore.  
The wolf lay down next to him, resting his head on the young man's lap; silently offering comfort until Jim found the strength to go to bed.

 

^^y^^

 

The next days were spent in growing camaraderie; both of them getting to know each other. Jim learned to read the wolf's emotions better and better, to distinct them from his own and getting used very quickly to the other's needs: The wolf would sleep a lot during the day once he had started to feel secure enough in Jim's house to do so, and they would spent the evenings in front of the fireplace; simply enjoying each other's company with little words between them.  
At night, Bones would roam the forest to hunt as it was a wolf's way to get his own food and Jim fell asleep waiting for him. But every night, upon his return, Bones sneaked into his bed and lay next to the human; telling himself stubbornly it was just to keep him warm.

During the day, Jim did his job. Usually, that just meant caring for the forest; making sure the paths were safe and free from fallen trunks, checking the trees and animals were in good health and picking up hikers that had managed to get lost in the huge area. But these days, he had more urgent things to worry about: though Bones had stayed at his place for several days now, still he received complaints from tourists and villagers about a huge animal that had terrified people in the evenings. Nobody had seen it properly but most described it as a gigantic wolf. So far, nobody else had disappeared, but the pressure on him as the huntsman to find the beast grew.

Jim knew it couldn't have been _his_ wolf. Bones had been with him at the times people had seen the creature appear. But he started to wonder if maybe there was more than one wolf roaming the forest.

That night, when he and Bones sat in front of the fire again, Jim absentmindedly scratching the wolf's ears again, he voiced his thoughts: "Bones... are there more of you?"  
The canine lifted his head to look in his eyes and nodded, wondering why the human asked. Sensing the unvoiced question, Jim explained.  
"There have been sightings of... some animal in the forest. Some big animal. Some described it as a wolf."

Bones huffed in surprise. _'Another wolf?'_  
"People have been killed... Nobody can say for sure if it truly was a wolf, but the locals are feeling threatened. They want me to find it. If I don't, they'll start looking on their own."  
Turning towards his friend, Jim lifted his hand to the wolf's face, stroking gently, his blue eyes full of worry.  
"They mustn't find you, Bones. They will want you to be put down and there's no way I could ever bring them to believe a gigantic wolf in the forest poses no threat to them if they can't really handle the normal ones!"  
The young man sighed and hugged the canine, burying his face in the soft fur. "I don't want you to get hurt..."

The wolf closed his eyes, inhaling the sweet scent of his human deeply.  
He was sorry about Jim's fears and concerned as well - Jim regularly walked through the forest. He couldn't let anything happen to him. _'What if...'_  
He suddenly had an idea what it could be that had attacked the humans. He decided he needed to think it through, but right now, he simply enjoyed the closeness of the young man pressed to him; thinking wistfully how it could have been if Jim had been born a wolf like him.  
_' I would've made him mine long ago... We would run together, hunt together... And we would...'_  
The wolf let the thought fade before it could unsettle him too much. As arousing as it was to picture Jim as a wolf (would his fur be the color of straw?), it was not helping Bones to hold himself back from pinning the young man on his back right now and-

-he was doing it again! Bones cursed inwardly; his traitorous body that knew nothing of Jim being NOT a wolf had started to give off mating pheromones again. And Jim was reacting to them already; the human pressing just a little bit closer to his side, stroking hands stilling and fingers burying deep in the fur.  
_'I must...not... give in,'_ Bones thought through the haze that was clouding his mind as well. _'I cannot... But Great Mother, the SMELL!'_  
Without thinking, the wolf turned his head towards Jim's neck where his smell was very prominent, almost madly licking the bare skin. The human moaned softly, fingers tightening even more; pulling out some hairs with it.  
By now, Bones' whole body was shouting at him to _make Jim his_ , human or not; mating instinct running full force. Growling, he pushed forward; using his bodyweight to flatten the young man against the floor, his tongue still licking Jim's neck in a frenzy. Jim moaned again, louder this time, throwing his head back and baring his throat in a sign of surrender that was ages old and always understood.  
Purring contentedly, Bones lifted some of his weight off Jim, pleased the human was not battling him for dominance. Taking some of the fabric that was covering his body between his teeth, the wolf pulled, impatient to finally get rid of the annoying thing, satisfied when he heard it rip.

 

Jim was not able to form a coherent thought in his desire-filled mind, it was as if all he could do was feel. He had no idea why he responded so... ardently... but he didn't really care; it all felt just too good, Bones' tongue on his flushed skin stirred something primal deep inside him and almost without wanting to he tilted his head, offering his throat to the wolf because it just seemed the right thing to do. He felt Bones' happiness and satisfaction about it and smiled, oddly glad he was pleasing him. His hands clutched the furry head like a drowning man, holding on for dear life; bringing it closer and inhaling again that incredible, strange smell that was coming off Bones that was sending waves of electricity through his body and directly to his groin. Faintly, he noticed the wolf taking his shirt in his muzzle, ripping it. The nasty sound brought startled him back to his senses.  
_'This... can't be right...'_  
Suddenly Jim was very much aware of the position they were in, with him on his back on the floor, making out with a wolf.  
_'What...am I doing, here, with him??'_  
His brain was still working slow, but his hands already pushed against Bones' chest. "Stop..."

 

The wolf growled, irritated by the other's shift in attitude. _'Mine...'_  
His growl earned him a spike of fear from Jim but also a punch against his chest.  
"Bones! I said stop!"  
Reluctantly, the canine backed off; watching solemnly as the human scrambled away from him; sitting against the far wall. Suddenly, Bones regretted what had happened.  
'It shouldn't be like this... He shouldn't be afraid of me,' he thought sadly, hanging his head. Already he could feel the pheromones fade, his body finally accepting defeat. He could only imagine how it must have been for the human - he was not used to being manipulated by scent; his body helpless against the onslaught of sexual hormones.  
_'That he answers to me this way... is due to the pheromones. He would never do this otherwise.'_

Torn by regret at having misused the human like this, Bones carefully stepped closer, head low, tail between his legs as a sign of his harmlessness, and whined softly.  
_'I am sorry, kid.'_  
Jim didn't look at him, staring at a spot on the floor instead. "I think you better leave my house and come back tomorrow, Bones."

Lowering his head further, the wolf acknowledged the human's words. Then he turned around and left Jim's hut, silent as a shadow.

^^y^^

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh... Poor Bones. That didn't go so well. Will he be able to redeem himself? Well... we'll see in chapter 3: Seven Times Never Kill Man


	3. Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is chapter 3 ready for you. I'm not completely sure yet if this story will have 4 or 5 chapters - I intended it as a quick, short three-chapter thing, but oh well...  
> Thank you very much for your support, I'm really happy there are some lonely wolves (haha) out there that would read this star trek/fantasy mix. ;)  
> Btw, I changed the title to this chapter.
> 
> Well then...Onwards with the story! 
> 
> Chapter's warnings: They have sex.

_High on the lonely mountain_  
_Where the wild men watched and waited;_  
_Wolves in the forest, and bears in the bush,_  
_And I on my path belated._

_The rain and the night together_  
_Came down, and the wind came after,_  
_Bending the props of the pine tree roof_  
_And snapping many a rafter._

_I crept along in the darkness,_  
_Stunned and bruised and blinded..._  
_Crept to a fir with thick-set boughs,_  
_And a sheltering rock behind it._

_There, from the blowing and raining,_  
_Crouching I sought to hide me;_  
_Something rustled, two green eyes shone,_  
_And a wolf lay down beside me._

_Little one, be not frightened;_  
_I and the wolf together,_  
_Side by side through the long, long night,_  
_Hid from the awful weather._

_His wet fur pressed against me;_  
_Each of us warmed the other;_  
_Each of us felt in the stormy dark_  
_That beast and man was brother._

_And when the falling forest_  
_No longer crashed in warning,_  
_Each of us went from our hiding place_  
_Forth in the wild wet morning._

_\- A Night With a Wolf (excerpt), Bayard Taylor_

 

**Chapter 3: Change**

 

Once again, Jim didn't see head nor tail of the wolf for two days.  
He had already regretted chasing Bones away; the animal had probably just acted according to his instincts - the emotions Jim had felt coming from Bones implied that. He had no idea how proud a wolf Bones was; but Jim had banished him from the house like some badly behaved dog. No wonder the wolf had not returned.  
Another matter entirely were the feelings Jim was developing for him - but he preferred not to think about that, fearful of where it may lead or what it might imply: that he might be some sort of pervert - he was a human. Bones was... he was not exactly sure what Bones was, but he definitely was closer to an animal than to a man, so that was that.  
In a spur of the moment, Jim had called an old friend that he knew had a crush on him and asked him over for the next day; deciding that some good, meaningless sex was exactly what he needed to get his body back under control. And it might get Bones out of his head for one night.

The young man didn't know if his friend was gone for good, but he had his hands full even without his constant worry about Bones: two other wanderers, a couple, had disappeared in the Black Forest. This time, Jim had no option but to call help from other villages in the area: word had already spread that some monster was haunting the woods and the mayor had officially asked people to refrain from entering until the beast was found. Jim was glad about that, but he knew he only had so much time to find the thing before the people from animal welfare would find Bones and blame him for everything.

Shouldering his rifle like every day now, he stepped out of his hut and went into the forest. He wasn't usually armed, but it was a necessity now: he had no idea what he was looking for, but when he found it, he would make sure it wouldn't harm anyone else.  
Following the well-known paths, his mind strayed towards Bones again, wondering if he was alright.  
_'He is a wolf, he can take care of himself.'_  
That was perfectly true, but Jim preferred to tell himself that he was concerned for Bones' safety rather than to admit that he missed his strange friend.  
_'I've gotten used to him being with me.'_  
_'You like him very much.'_  
_'I'm fond of him. Like - like a loyal dog.'_  
_'A wolf is not a pet.'_  
_'And not a human...'_  
_'He is more than an animal, you know that.'_  
_'Yes... But still, he is no human!'_  
_'Yet you have feelings for him...'_  
_'Feelings of friendship, now shut up!!'_  
Before he could argue with himself any further, a low noise startled him out of his thoughts.  
_'There's something in the bushes to the right.'_  
He stopped, raising his rifle as silently as he could, all senses on alert. Had he found the beast? The rustling was coming closer.  
_'Whatever it is, it's big!'_  
Finally, a huge shadow emerged from the undergrowth and Jim let out a short cry of relief and joy: "Bones!"  
The wolf stepped closer to him, head tilted as if unsure if he was welcome. The young man shouldered his rifle again, lifting his hand and stroking the big head. "Hello, my friend."  
He briefly hesitated to hug the wolf, but shrugged and buried his nose in the soft, shiny fur. "I missed you."  
He felt Bones' feelings mirroring his own and smiled.

 

Bones deeply breathed in the pleasing scent of the human, glad to smell him again. The last days had been hard on him; staying away from Jim had been against his urges but he had chosen to give the young man some time alone. Also, he had made good use of it - he had picked up the trail of the being that harmed the humans, had read the signs. He was certain now what it was, that it had followed him here into this world, but the trail had disappeared every time the wolf had closed in.  
Now it was time to let Jim know what he was facing, but of course, this would be difficult without the human understanding him. So Bones had decided to simply show him.  
_'Come with me, kid.'_  
Taking the cuff of the young man's coat into his fangs, the wolf pulled gently, urging him to follow.  
Jim caught on quickly. "You want to show me something, right, Bones?"  
Huffing affirmatively, the wolf lead the way, straying off the path.

Deeper and deeper they went into the Black Forest, the light getting thinner and thinner the closer they got to the heart of the wood until only now and then a ray of sunlight came through the thick canopy of leaves, creating sharp contrasts on the earthen ground. More than once, they had to climb over rocks or a fallen tree trunk.  
Jim had just started to wonder how much longer it would take when the wolf finally stopped, looking at the ground in front of them. Following his gaze, Jim noticed an array of blue flowers growing in a circle... A perfect circle. Nature rarely created perfect circles.  
_'How can they even grow here, with this sparse light??'_  
Focusing on the peculiar shaped blossoms, Jim recognized the plants. Turning to look at Bones, he spoke out loud. "This is wolf's bane!"  
His friend nodded, eyes glowing softly in the twilight. Looking back at the flowers, the blond man noticed something very odd about them: like Bones' eyes, they were emitting a dim light, pulsating as if they had a heartbeat. Mesmerized, Jim took a step towards them.

 

Immediately, the wolf growled loudly in warning. _'Stay away, kid!'_  
Jumping at the noise, Jim turned again, the spell broken. "Wolf's bane... It's the most poisonous plant in Europe. What is it doing here in the forest? I've never seen it here before!"  
The wolf sighed inwardly. _'Now how do I explain this?'_  
Looking at the circle, he remembered how he came here, into Jim's world: he had stepped into a similar ring of wolf's bane back home in the magical kingdom. He had been careless - usually, the strong magic that dwelled in these circles warned him before he could come too close, but he had been on a chase and distracted. When he had noticed the blue glow, it had been too late: before he knew what was going on, he had been taken into another realm and to the very spot they were standing at right now.

"So... They are a portal between worlds, or something?"

Jim's question broke through his thoughts and Bones stared at him, shocked. _'Did he hear me?'_  
Moving closer to the human, the wolf looked him into the eyes. _'Can you hear me, kid?'_  
He waited, but Jim didn't respond but just stared at him curiously. Sighing in disappointment, Bones hung his head when Jim spoke again.  
"Well, are they? You showed me how they brought you here..."  
The wolf raised his head again, astounded. _'He still cannot hear me, but he is seeing my thoughts?'_  
Immediately, he pulled up another image in his mind, of a sunrise in his homeworld and sent it towards Jim. The young man smiled and closed his eyes.  
"That's your home? It's beautiful."  
Opening his eyes again, Jim locked eyes with the wolf again. "Why am I getting those pictures now?"  
_'It must be the magic of this place, human... Rings of wolf's bane possess a very old, deep magic that is not for us mortals to understand.'_  
He tried let his friend know by letting him receive the strange _feeling_ of the enchanted place they were in, the raw magic in the air and the ground. Jim furrowed his brows in concentration.  
"Okay, so it's magical. You know, two weeks ago I would never have let this pass for an explanation."  
Contemplating the flowers again, he continued: "So... those killings... Do you think it possible that something followed you here, Bones?"  
The wolf growled lowly in agreement, sending another picture to Jim, one of the creature they were looking for. Jim got it, breathing in sharply: the image showed a huge shadow with the faint shape of a wolf but without any visible features besides two red-glowing eyes and huge fangs. Opening his eyes, he stared at Bones in horror. "THAT thing is running around in the forest somewhere?? Damn!"  
Shaking his head to clear it of the disturbing picture, he ran his hands through his blond hair in desperation. "How do we get rid of it?"

The wolf looked at the human, a grim determination in his still glowing eyes.  
_'I will get rid of it, Jim. I swear.'_

 

^^y^^

 

The rest of the day, they wandered through the forest, looking for the trail of the 'shadow wolf' as Jim had dubbed it. Bones showed him the signs that marked its presence; trees with claw marks, dead animals, ripped to shreds. Finally, they found the remains of the two missing wanderers.  
Jim had called the police, describing the exact location and had waited until they arrived with a helicopter, taking the bodies - though it was hard to make them out as such - back to the village. Bones had stayed out of sight, waiting until the humans left. When he came back, Jim was vomiting forcefully into the bushes.  
The wolf whined softly in compassion and sorrow, sad for all the pain he was causing his human.  
He urged Jim to go back home with him. On the way back the young man hardly spoke, but collapsed on the bed when they reached his house. Patting the mattress beside him, Jim waited for the wolf to join him, scooting close to Bones as soon as he had settled down.  
Resting his head on him, Jim stared at nothing for a long time.  
Finally, when the sun was already setting, he started to talk again.  
"Show me something about your world, Bones."  
The wolf complied, closing his eyes to concentrate on the memories he cherished most: his mother's face with the bright, sungolden eyes. Scuffling with his siblings. The beautiful places he had seen, the magic that was everywhere.  
Jim sighed contentedly, lulled in by the strong feeling of affection and security and suddenly felt very tired. Burying his nose in the wolf's warm, soft fur, he wished he could see all that for his own. "Think I can become a wolf like you, Bones?" he mumbled drowsily.  
_'I wish you could, kid,'_ Bones thought full of sorrow. _'I really wish you could.'_  
"Maybe one day," Jim whispered, already half asleep. Snuggling even closer, he put his arms around the great, furry head. "I love you, Bones."

Stunned by the young man's easy confession, it took the wolf a long time to form the answer in his mind his heart already knew.

_'...I... I love you too, Jim.'_

 

It was hours later, in the deep of the moonlit night, that the wolf sneaked out of the bed, careful not to disturb the sleeping human. Noiselessly, he left the house and ran into the forest, following the same way they had taken during the day. There was no light coming through the trees to light his path, but his nose and the faint traces of magic guided him.  
The closer he came to the circle of wolf's bane, the thicker the magic became; the pulse of the blue light almost drowning out all other sounds until he reached the spot he had sought. The light seemed to call out to him. Lowering his head, the wolf sniffed at the strange, beautiful blossoms; their scent was intoxicating. Fighting against a feeling of light-headedness, he closed his eyes and concentrated - he could sense his own magical power strengthen here.  
_'Noble spirits please hear my call... Magic of life and death that surrounds and imbues all that is, and ever was, give me your powers...'_  
A wolf of the magical kingdom has its own powers, though they were almost nonexistent in the human world. But here, at the junction between the realms, he felt his magic again. Focusing harder, his body began to tremble; the very foundations of it shaking. Growling with the effort, he put even more energy into it; pain erupting white-hot in his bones as they broke with the force of the spell. Faintly, the wolf heard himself roar, still not relenting, collecting all of his might.  
Finally, he felt the pain become less, broken bones rearranging themselves and mending at new angles, his roar turning into a cry when he collapsed, panting and shivering in the cold night air: his warm fur was gone, leaving bare, smooth skin; his claws had turned into blunt, short nails and his tail was gone.

                               

For a while, the wolf in human form could do nothing but lie on the dark ground, trying to adjust to the new body. Then, he tried to get up; only to fall onto his knees and hands. He looked at them in wonder - his fingers were long and supple. Curious now, he reached out with them for a stone, almost laughing in delight when the digits closed around it and lifted it. The new sound coming from his throat caught his attention and he tried to do it again, marveling at the strange feeling.  
Taking a low branch in one hand, he again tried to stand; his new two legs unused to support him but strong enough once he caught his balance. Carefully, tentatively, he took a step forward; almost falling again but catching himself in time. One step after the other, the wolf-man started his journey back out of the forest.

At first it was very slow, but after a while he got more familiar with moving his new form. A stick he found on the ground helped him keep his balance. It was harder to stay on the right way than before; his senses were now much duller, he could hear less and smelled almost nothing which bothered him, but his eyes were fine. Looking up at the moon, he urged himself to hurry; he knew he didn't have much time before he would change back; already the magic was getting fainter the more the distance to the circle grew.  
_'I only have this one night,' he thought. 'I will make the best of it.'_

Finally he reached Jim's hut. Casting his stick aside, he gripped the rail that surrounded the front porch and pulled himself up the few stairs. Stopping at the door, he breathed in deeply; almost hesitant to enter, but then he calmed himself and called himself a damned fool: why spent all his energy on the spell if he dared not to show it to his beloved? So he pushed the door open, glad he had kept it open when he'd left.  
Inside, he moved towards the bedroom with some stumbling and bumping into things because his new body lacked his usual grace, but in the end, he managed to reach Jim's room and entered.  
Jim was still fast asleep on the bed. The wolf-man sighed in relief; afraid he had woken him with all the commotion he had caused, and took a moment to admire the way the moonlight cast silvery stripes on the blonde man's skin.  
_'Jim'_ , he thought happily, _'Now I'm like you.'_  
Raising his hands, he marveled again how the different fingers moved and how the light played on them as well.  
_'This is so...different. But I better get used to it quickly, before the spell ends and all was for nothing!'_  
Having made up his mind, he strode over to the bed - but he had moved too fast; his new legs gave out under him and he hit the floor with an involuntary yell.

 

Jim was ripped from his sleep by a dull crash and a sharp yell.  
Up in a heartbeat, he immediately looked around to find the source of the noise and to his astonishment found a man prone on the floor, slowly sitting up.  
_'Oh shit, shit, shit, a burglar,'_ he cursed inwardly and jumped out of the bed, looking around wildly for something to arm himself with and grabbing the bedside lamp, raising it over his head.  
"Stay still! Don't you move a muscle," he warned, never taking his eyes off the shadowy figure that was only partially illuminated by the moonlight that came through the window. The man made a strange noise in his throat that sounded like he wanted to say something but couldn't and lifted himself on his knees and hands.  
"Don't move, I said! BONES," he yelled at the open bedroom door. "Dammit, where is the giant wolf when you need him?!"  
The man on the floor looked up at him and made that strangled sound again and Jim waited, deeply disturbed by the other's state of undress but not really feeling threatened anymore - he figured a burglar would probably be masked and definitely not be stark naked.  
_'But if he's not a burglar, he might be some crazy breakaway from somewhere,'_ his brain in overdrive warned him. Gripping his lamp tighter, he demanded: "Who the fuck are you? What are you doing in my house?"  
Again, the naked man breathed in deeply and opened his mouth and this time, he managed to say a word: "Jim."  
Now that was the last the blonde man had expected. Eyebrows climbing high on his forehead, he asked: "Do I know you?"  
"It's... me," the other answered, and it seemed to cost him a lot of strength to do so.  
"..." Jim was at a loss for words but finally decided the guy would not immediately jump him. Putting the lamp back down, he turned it on.  
The light let him see the other man clearly and the first thing Jim noticed the dirt: his hands and lower arms as well as his legs were stained as if he had spent the night crawling through the forest. He also looked tired and cold. Scratching his head, Jim wondered what the hell he was supposed to do now: should he call an ambulance? But then, the other man wasn't injured, as far as he could see - and maybe the poor guy needed help. Maybe he had been mugged?  
"Hey," he said gently, crouching in front of the shivering figure on his rug. "Can I help you? Are you hurt?"  
The man shook his hazel head. That was the second thing Jim noticed: his hair had the same shade of hazel as Bones' fur. It pleased Jim, somehow. He let his eyes wander over the other man's body, unable to help himself - the man was rather tall; Jim noticed that even though they were still on the floor, his skin a darker tone than his own. And he was well built.  
_'Damn well built, actually,'_ the blonde man thought. Not brawny, but with broad shoulders and long, lean arms and legs. Jim felt his mouth water; the months of abstinence making themselves known very distinctly.  
Clearing his throat, he focused on the man's head again. "So...who are you?"  
Slowly, the man lifted his head until he locked eyes with him. Jim breathed in sharply.  
_'His eyes!'_  
He had a strong feeling that he knew these eyes - that they were, in fact, very familiar. Golden hazel with flecks of green. "It's...me."  
Jim's eyes widened suddenly when everything fell into place. _'It can't be-'_  
"...Bones??" he asked incredulously.  
The man - _Bones_ \- smiled. It was a soft, small smile that took Jim's breath away. "Oh Gods... Bones. I can't... I mean - _how_?"  
Bones' smile faltered as a look of utmost concentration took its place. The former wolf made a visible effort to answer: "M....Ma-"  
"Magic?" The blonde man asked quickly. Bones nodded, relieved.  
"But..." Jim was torn between excitement and worry. "...But Bones, what if you don't like being a man? Won't you miss being a wolf?"  
The man in front of him smiled again and again, Jim felt his heart skip a beat. He swallowed thickly. Bones lifted a hand and grasped Jim's with it, squeezing it with too much force and Jim winced but didn't say anything, too preoccupied with the wolf-man's answer.  
"On...ly... to-toni...tonight," he said. Jim noticed how deep and masculine man-Bones' voice was. It had a slightly raspy edge to it, too. Then he realized what the other was saying.  
"This lasts only for tonight?"  
Bones nodded. His face, totally unguarded in this new form, showed his hope but also his doubt. Suddenly Jim had a pretty good idea why the wolf had decided to change. His throat felt very dry right now.  
"You, uh," he mumbled, looking down at his hand that the other still held in a vice-grip. "Do you want to... I mean, you and me..." He felt terribly idiotic not to be able to voice it.  
_'Get a grip, Jim... Just ask him if he wants to sleep with you!'_  
_'But... he's still the same inside, right? He's still a wolf.'_  
_'He turned himself into a human for you, you fool! What more do you want him to do?!'_  
Before Jim had finished his internal debate, Bones answered his unasked question by closing his eyes and sending the other man an image of what he wanted.  
_Tangled bodies._  
_Moans of shared pleasure._  
_Moonlight on white and tanned skin._  
The hazel-haired man purred and opened his eyes again, now filled with raw lust and desire. "Jim..." he growled lowly. The younger man shuddered violently. Something in the wolf-man's dark voice almost had him surrender this instant. "Bones," he whispered breathlessly, "Bones, I-"  
The former wolf looked at him silently, waiting for the blonde man's answer. There was no urging in his dark, gleaming eyes; only plain and honest...love.  
And that was when Jim threw his concerns overboard and himself into his waiting, open arms. Filled with a hunger that seemed insatiable to him, he kissed him; moaning against the warm, even hot, moist lips.

 

Bones answered the kiss with fervor, instincts guiding him to move his new lips against his lover's. He felt Jim opening his mouth and followed suit, astonished as the younger man touched his tongue with the tip of his own. It was a strange, but incredibly pleasing, sensation and once he got the hang of it, he expertly returned the heated caress. Then the blonde man pulled back.  
"Wow, Bones! You're a natural!"  
The man-wolf didn't know if that was good, but his lover laughed and seemed very happy, so he was satisfied. Lifting his hands to Jim's white upper night coating - _'He calls it... uh, shirt,'_ \- he gripped it tightly and ripped it open in one fluid, unconcerned motion, pushing the shreds off the other man's shoulders. Next, he reached for the waistband of the short piece of coating that Jim wore on his lower body - and was irritated when Jim stopped him.

 

"Woah, wait, Bones! Not so fast!" Jim felt completely overwhelmed by the speed by which this was progressing. ' _Ten minutes ago I was still sleeping!'_  
He still felt a bit uneasy but then he saw the former wolf's grumbled, almost pouting, expression and laughed. "Okay, okay... But you don't have to rip it off me, I'll undress myself."  
Standing up, he felt a shiver of anticipation run down his back, briefly wondering if Bones would like the way he looked - and shaking his head over his own stupidity the next moment. The other had never done anything to let him think he didn't desire him - quite the contrary. So he pushed his childish insecurities away and pulled down his boxers.  
The hunger in the hazel eyes intensified and Jim shivered again, this time in a mutual hunger. Looking over the former wolf, he saw the proud erection; a salute to himself and proof of the other's desire. It made his own manhood rise with pride as well.  
He made a small, surprised noise when the tanned, long fingers suddenly grabbed his ass tightly; the hazel head leaning forward and licking once along his shaft, purring. Then, Bones licked his way up his belly, never ceasing his purring. It tickled, and Jim couldn't help but laugh and squirm in the other's hold. Bones scowled slightly, tugging on the blonde man's hip to bring him to his knees again. He captured Jim's lips in a searing new kiss; biting and gnawing on his lower lip softly. It was strange and animalistic but oddly erotic and Jim threw his head back, baring his long neck. With a quiet shout of triumph, the man-wolf bit down on the junction between shoulder and neck, not hard enough to draw blood but it hurt nonetheless.  
"Ouch! Hey Bones, stop that!" Glaring at the hazel-haired man, Jim rubbed the spot where he had been bitten. "Maybe other wolves dig that biting stuff, but I don't!"  
His lover managed to look like a kicked puppy even when he was human and the younger man sighed. "Don't really bite, okay? Nibbling and lovebites are fine."

 

Bones nodded, feeling a bit put-off at being reprimanded and having to follow rules, but also determined to show the born human that he could control himself. Again, he kissed him; taking his time now and was rewarded with a happy sigh from Jim, who put his arms around him. Their bodies touched completely now and in a very wolf-like and instinctual manner, Bones rubbed his penis against Jim's thigh. To his utter bewilderment, this amused the human again."You're actually screwing my leg!"  
He had no idea what that meant but he was completely sure he had given Jim enough cause for laughter now: in one swift move, he turned the younger man around so he was facing Jim's back now. Immediately, the laughter died and was replaced by a low moan, filled with anticipation. Pleased, the former wolf jerked his hips; rubbing his erection against the younger man's entrance. A few drops of moisture leaked from his shaft, but still, it felt quite dry against him. Bones scowled again, this time in frustration.

 

Jim heard an actual growl coming from the other and felt his confusion in his mind. Guessing what was the cause for the former wolf's annoyance, he extended a hand towards his night stand, opening a drawer and collecting a small bottle from it. Half-turning so Bones could see what he was holding, he opened it and poured a generous amount of the oil onto his palm.  
"Here," he breathed, stroking with his oiled hand slowly over the other's erection. "Makes it easier..." Quickly spreading some oil between his cheeks as well, Jim lowered himself onto his hands; moaning again when Bones gripped his hips with his strong hands and positioned himself. Then, he felt the other man slowly enter. It was uncomfortable and the blonde man shifted, trying to relax himself enough for his lover. Bones seemed to sense his tension and purred soothingly; bending forward to lick Jim's neck. The different angle along with the hazel-haired man's noises calmed the younger man and almost effortlessly, Bones pushed all the way in.  
Jim closed his eyes, a happy sigh escaping him - this was sheer bliss. During his time of abstinence, he had almost forgotten how fucking good sex felt. Usually, he was not on the receiving end of it, but with Bones, he immediately felt taken care of - and there was the smell, of course: though fainter now that Bones was a human, he was still giving off his strange, intoxicating musk that made Jim want to throw himself on his back and surrender.  
_'Must be an alpha wolf thing,'_ he thought faintly. That was the last coherent thought he had, because in that moment, the former wolf decided he had given the human enough time to adapt and began to move in quick, deep thrusts. Jim threw his blonde head back, opening his mouth in a drawn-out moan and instinctively pushing back against his lover, meeting him on every move.  
He subconsciously felt that this was different from the other times he had slept with someone - with Bones, it felt more primal, more animalistic. The wolf-man's raw, wholehearted lovemaking made Jim drop his inhibitions and gleefully be drowned in this feral, wonderful, exciting mess of limbs, moans and sweat.

Soon, way too soon, the young man felt his climax closing in; his body meeting the movements of the former wolf more urgently, fingers clawing at the soft rug under them. Bones seemed to notice he was close; the dark-haired man's thrusts quickening, strengthening, almost painful now but still so damn good. Growling deep in his chest, Bones leaned forward over Jim's back, his long, tanned arms wrapping themselves around the blonde man, holding him in place while he was hitting his lover's sweet spot over and over. Jim opened his mouth again; to his surprise, not a moan but an answering growl rose from his throat; urging the other man on to move faster still although Jim's body was shouting at him that it was too much, that he couldn't keep up this pace and this intensity.  
"Bo-Bones," he shouted, not knowing what he was asking his lover for but asking anyway.  
Suddenly, his mind was filled with the emotions of the other; Bones was showing him what he felt right now, his hot, possessive lust for Jim, but also his adoration and love. It pushed him over the edge.

With a noise that was nothing short of a howl, the human found his completion. A heartbeat later, the former wolf followed, his loud, proud howl mingling into Jim's.

 

A long time, both men could do nothing but lie where they had collapsed; Jim on his belly and Bones on his back, panting hard. The dark-haired man's arms were still hugging the human for dear life, and when Jim twisted his head to look at him, his eyes were squeezed shut.  
"...Bones? Are you alright?"  
The former wolf nodded faintly.  
"...Will you look at me?"  
Finally, his lover opened his eyes. The warm, glowing hazel looked like molten amber; warm and gentle; the look in it open and trusting. Jim felt a wave of affection rising inside him and lifting himself up, he sealed his lips with a long, soft kiss. Pulling away, he saw Bones' smile happily but he noticed also the shiver that ran through the wolf-man, his now furless body cooling faster than before. The blonde man raised his hand towards his bed, pulling off the blanket and draping it over both of them, deciding spontaneously that he was too tired to get up and they could just as well sleep on his rug this night.

The former wolf pulled the blanket tightly around them, wrapping the born human in his arms again. Jim snuggled closer to the broad chest, feeling safe and comfortable.  
"Hey Bones?" he yawned, sleep already claiming him. "That was some awesome sex."  
He more felt than heard the rumble of laughter from his lover. Bones lifted his mouth to Jim's ear, placing a kiss on it. Then he focused on the words he wanted to say, knowing it would be the last he would ever actually say to him.

"I love you."

 

^^y^^

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I hope you liked it. Please let me know!   
> Btw I made another illustration for this chapter, right here: https://www.deviantart.com/flaus/art/Wolf-s-Bane-Change-768992361


	4. The Wolf's Bane

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made it, I finally made it! :)  
> Sorry it took me so long; I seriously considered splitting this chapter into two but now it's just a long one.  
> Originally, there were illustrations here along with the story, but they got deleted (loong story!) and well, my computing skills are abysmal,  
> so you can find them all now on my DeviantArt gallery, my nickname's Flaus, here's the link: https://www.deviantart.com/flaus/gallery/35358958/Traditional-Art
> 
> Direct links to the illustrations for the respective chapters will be in the foot notes at the end of the chapters.
> 
> As for the chapter, there are no specific chapter's warnings, this is supposed to be a fairy tale, after all...

_...So she looked upon the wolves, who were dwindling in number,_  
_and back at the humans who no longer cared for their own, and combined their spirits._  
_She took the loyal, protective, possessive natures of the wolf and took the intelligence, emotions,_  
_and love of the human and brought them together. She designed us to be a pack._

_\- Out of the Dark (excerpt), Quinn Loftis_

 

**Chapter 4: The Wolf's Bane**

 

Dawn came too early.  
Bones looked down at his still sleeping lover, feeling no weariness though he had not slept at all; spending the few, precious hours that he had left watching the man in his arms rest. Jim was still comfortably nestled against him, against his human form; kept warm by the body heat radiating off him - though he was changed, his temperature was still higher than a normal man's.

Wistfully, the hazel-haired man looked at the small patch of sky he could see from his prone position on the floor - the telltale rose color was spreading, Mother Sun was already approaching; ignorant of her child's plea to stay away.  
Bones closed his eyes when the first rays of morning sun were blinding him, hugging Jim even closer, holding tight though he could feel himself slowly change back. It was slightly unpleasant but tolerable; the spell was fading gradually instead of an abrupt alteration. When the last traces of his magic were gone, he sighed and opened his eyes again; looking at his old form - a wolf once more. His paws, no longer able to hug, were still wrapped around his lover. Carefully, he pulled them back, not wanting to hurt the young man with his claws. He was glad that the transformation had been almost painless this time; that way he hadn't disturbed his lover's sleep.

He stilled again, listening to the sounds of the early birds outside Jim's window. He was glad to have his excellent hearing back, glad to be able to smell all the subtle nuances of his friend's scent but he knew he would always regret it, would happily exchange it again for two hands with sensitive, gentle fingers and a pair of lips to kiss and cherish him with.  
_'And I will miss talkin' to him. There is so much I didn't say - I never told him how beautiful he is... How much I enjoy his company.'_  
The wolf shook his furry head at himself. _'No use regretting what can't be changed...'_

He was distracted from his thoughts by his waking lover.

 

Jim shifted, a frown forming slowly on his face. Still half-asleep, he sought out the warm, strong arms that had held him but found none. Turning, he moved closer to the body next to him and buried his face in the fur.

When his mind finally put the pieces together, he sighed; pulling back and slowly opening his eyes.  
"Good morning, Bones."  
The wolf hummed in response, tail thumping noisily against the floor. Jim took a moment to regard his lovers' more familiar form once more: the shade and texture of the fur, the angle of his pointed ears, his twitching, wet nose... A knot was beginning to form in his stomach, a feeling of regret rising. Looking into the wolf's eyes, he opened his mouth to complain about the unfairness of it all - and shut it again. His lover might have changed completely but his eyes had not. The way he was looked at was exactly the same as last night, warm and loving, open and trusting. And yet...  
There was a hint of worry in Bones' eyes, as if he was expecting Jim to turn away in disgust, appalled at what had happened between them. Jim understood in a moment of clarity that whatever he did and said next would either end this strange relationship that that they had - or he would accept that this was the way it was, that last night was all they would get - and live with it. The thought made the blonde man sad.  
_'Am I ready to live like that? Commit myself to a partner that cannot talk to me, cannot hold or kiss me... or sleep with me?'_  
Briefly he waited for his inner voice to speak up but nothing happened - this decision was obviously for him alone.  
Looking up into the hazel eyes again, he noticed that the wolf had stilled completely, regarding him silently; waiting for Jim's decision, the young man could distinctly feel the apprehension wavering towards him.  
Taking the great, furry head into his hands, the human pulled it towards him, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against Bones'. Some sort of sigh-chuckle escaped him.

"You know, I'd have never believed that one day I'd become the mate of a wolf."

Jim's chuckle turned into a peal of laughter when his friend started to frantically lick his hands, face and every body part he could reach.  
_'...love you, Jim, I love you, you furless, strange human!!'_  
"Huh?" he blinked, still half-laughing. "Did you say something, Bones?"  
The wolf stopped his licking and looked at him, confused as well. Jim beamed.  
"I think I received a fragment of your thoughts." Mock-pouting, he pulled a face. "Do you really think me a furless, strange human?"

Bones would have barked with laughter if he had been able to. The human was hearing his thoughts! Focusing on Jim, he tried again: _'Do you hear me?'_  
Jim nodded. "Yes, I heard that! Wow, this is awesome! Wait, let me try now."  
Scrunching up his face in concentration, he thought _'Hello, Bones!'_ and looked at his lover expectantly.  
After a few seconds, Bones shook his head. _'Sorry, kid. Doesn't work for you.'_  
"Aw, man... Why not?" Jim complained, disappointed. Bones thought a while before answering.  
_'I believe when we mated last night, you became part of the pack. So now I am able to communicate with you, as I can with other wolves. But you're still a human, and you're not magical, so you can't do it.'_

He expected Jim to complain some more but was surprised when the young man smiled broadly.  
"Heheh... I'm part of the pack now. That's freaking _awesome_!"  
The wolf growled tenderly and appreciatively. Not directing his thoughts at his lover this time he mused to himself: _'Kid, you're the awesome one here.'_

Jim opened his mouth to question their new connection some more when someone knocked on the front door. Irritated, Jim began to sit up.  
"Wait here, Bones, and stay out of sight, okay? Folks around here are still thinking it's a wolf killing all those people, no need to show them there's one living in my hut..."  
Still speaking, the young man threw on some boxers and left the room, closing the door after himself.

On the way to the door there was another knock, more impatient. "Coming," Jim called out, and, mumbling to himself quietly, "Give me a break, it's still early and I need a coffee..."  
Hoping it wasn't another villager reporting a missing person, he hurriedly opened the door.

Outside stood a young man in a blue sweater and tight jeans, frowning slightly but breaking into a smile when he saw Jim. "Hey... Long time no see!"  
"...Hey," answered Jim finally after staring at the other man for several seconds. "Roland, uh...hello."  
The other man ran a hand through his short, light brown hair. "Well, Jim... You called - I'm here."  
Taking in the blond man's current state of undress, a corner of his mouth lifted. "You look well."  
"Uh," Jim answered rather stupidly, horrified at remembering he had indeed called his former crush yesterday and invited him to come for -  
_'Oh fuck.'_  
Roland regarded him curiously. "You know, you probably shouldn't be standing here in the cold with only boxers on. Maybe we should talk inside?"  
"Uhm - sure," the other managed finally, stepping inside and letting him pass. Closing the door, Jim wondered frantically just _what exactly_ he had told Roland on the phone- he had been so distraught by Bones' disappearance and his hormone-riddled body that he hadn't been himself that time.

Inside, they regarded each other for a moment, Roland simply looking at him and Jim wishing he had taken the time to put on some more clothes. Usually he was completely unabashed by nudity but right now he felt vulnerable. He could still tell why he'd been attracted by the other villager before: Roland was quite good-looking with his broad shoulders and strong chin. Also, he was tall, taller than Jim and very well-build - in fact, he seemed to have gained even more muscle-weight than the last time they had met.  
Jim cleared his throat, trying to give his voice a firmness he did not feel. "Listen, Roland - I should not have called-"  
"It's fine, I'm glad you did," the other man interrupted him, and, stepping closer, added: "Very glad."  
Roland raised a hand to Jim's face, cupping it gently. Jim took it and pulled it away, turning away.  
"I - I can't, I'm sorry, I really shouldn't have called..."  
Looking mildly put-off, the taller man let his hand sink. "Jim, I know it's been a while since... and, well, I'm not gonna expect love declarations or anything, but I think there was a reason why you called me, even if you don't want to admit it."

Jim swallowed heavily, afraid that there was some truth to that. Suddenly he could see what his life would be like if he'd choose the villager: they could both do their normal jobs, get married if they wanted to, maybe even adopt a kid. They could grow old after a normal, peaceful, totally un-magical life together. Roland was a good man, Jim knew - it hadn't been his fault they'd separated. Suddenly Jim felt shame rise inside him at his behavior - he had known Roland would come if he called, known the man still had feelings for him. And he had exploited that, had called him here for a quick, mindless coupling and then send him away again.  
He stepped forward, taking the other man's hands in his. "There were reasons, but not what you think. I was selfish, I wanted to feel better at your expense -"  
"Then let me make you feel better, Jim," Roland mumbled, and took the blond man into his arms.

Jim opened his mouth to protest but he never got the chance, for in the moment Roland had embraced him, a giant wolf had broken down the door of the bedroom and lunged at the man. Jim could only stare in horror as the villager was ripped off him, flying sideways with the force of the impact and hitting the floor with a loud crash and the sickening crack of ribs breaking.  
The wolf - Bones - was barely recognizable: fangs bared and hackles raised, he looked like rabid beast. He had crashed into the floor as well but was on his feet again in an instant, going for the villagers' head. Roland managed to bring his arm up to protect himself just in time, with the wolf sinking his long teeth into it.  
The scream that resonated through the small house when the bone snapped instantly set Jim in motion. Bringing his shoulder forward as a battering ram, he threw all his weight against Bones' flank, not really managing to move the great wolf but distracting him enough that he let go of his victim. Turning his head, the wolf snarled at his friend and Jim's head was suddenly flooded with a resonating, deafening roar of _MINEMINEMINE!!!_  
Eyes watering up with the agonizing sound, he lifted a trembling hand to the wolf's face, hoping against hope Bones would not snap at it. The growling intensified, a dangerous, scary noise indeed, but Bones did not flinch when Jim slid his hand into his bristled fur. Feeling heartened by this, the human brought his other hand up as well, looking into the hazel eyes he now saw for the first time full of raw anger.  
"Bones, please - let him go," he urged, pushing against the wolf's massive chest. "He didn't hurt me-"

_'HE TOUCHED YOU!! HE TOUCHED WHAT IS MINE,'_ Bones' voice roared in his head, making Jim gasp with pain but the young man held on determinedly.  
"Yes, but it is all my fault! I made him come here, now please, let him go! You're gonna kill him!"  
_'THE WOLF MAY KILL WHO THREATENS HIS PACK_ ,' the wolf answered furiously.  
"He is not threatening us, Bones! I'm yours!" Acting upon a sudden stroke of inspiration, Jim bent his head back, baring his neck to the canine.  
Immediately, Bones went for it and Jim was almost sure he would bite him but then the wolf only started licking like mad, growling all the time but visibly calming down.

Unfortunately, this was the moment that Roland came back to his senses. Seeing the wolf on Jim's neck, he sat up and threw a punch at Bones with his uninjured arm.  
It was only a minor bumping into the wolf's head but enough to remember him that he was there. Cursing through the new roar that echoed through his mind, Jim barely managed to grab the wolf's head by the ears, pulling him back with all his strength. The tug on his sensitive ears was painful enough to prevent Bones from going in for the kill but not for long.

"RUN, ROLAND!! _NOW_!"

The villager hesitated, eyes darting back and forth between the door and Jim. The blond man almost growled himself now, his hold of Bones was slipping.  
"I've got him, he's not gonna hurt me! Now GET LOST!"

Finally, Roland obeyed. With one last scared look at the wolf that had almost ended him, he scrambled to his feet, ripped open the door and bolted, limping and slightly bent forward due to his broken ribs and crushed arm.  
Only when he was out of sight did Jim let go of his friend, slipping off him to the floor and rolling onto his back, breathing deeply. Bones next to him was panting heavily, catching his breath as well. Jim could still hear the confused current of his thoughts, though it was no longer deafening him. He closed his eyes, not trusting himself enough to not yell at the wolf before he had calmed some more and for long moments they sat in silence, Bones' erratic thoughts stilling too.

When Jim finally spoke, his voice was tight and measured: "Congratulations, Bones. Now they know you're here."  
Bones didn't answer but the human could feel him shaking beside him - justly so, in Jim's opinion.  
"You ruined it all with your jealousy! There's no chance Roland will let this go, why should he? For all he knows I'm in danger, held hostage by the murderous beast that has killed so many people! He will tell others!"  
Sitting up, he finally turned towards the wolf again. "They will come for you, Bones, do you have any idea-"  
_'I almost killed him.'_  
"-what you've do- what?"  
_'I... wounded him. I had killed him, if it had not been for you...'_ The wolf's great head lowered, his nose almost touching the ground. His limbs were still trembling, the claws of his paws digging into the wood. _'What have I done? Oh, what have I done, Jim?'_  
The agony that transported through their connection was so intense that Jim winced, still feeling angry but it was fading now that he saw how much his friend suffered from his actions.  
Reaching out, he gently stroked the furry head. "Hey... You didn't kill him, Bones. He'll live. And we... we better think of something before they come. Maybe we can get them to listen and see that you're normally not dangerous to humans..."

Jim sounded optimistic but wasn't convinced at all that the villagers would be inclined to listen.

But he still had to try.

 

^^y^^

 

They came at dusk.

Jim and Bones had spent the rest of the day thinking up a plan for the encounter.  
Claiming Roland had imagined the whole thing was out of the question; his injuries told a different story. Bones could hide in the forest, of course; but people might start searching for him, and at the moment Jim wanted as few people as possible in there - there was still a real monster on the loose.  
So Jim would talk to the villagers, try to explain that it wasn't his wolf that had killed the tourists. If it failed, Bones could still hide in the forest and Jim would meet him later, when things had calmed down a bit.

Jim had been looking out of the window every few minutes for the last three hours when Bones' ears twitched and the wolf lifted his head off the floor where he had been resting at Jim's feet.  
_'They are coming.'_  
The blond man simply nodded. A few minutes later he could also hear angry voices drawing closer.  
Wordlessly, he stood up, touched briefly Bones' head as if for additional courage and went outside.

Five persons had gathered in front of his hut. Jim knew all of them, of course; some he had already fined for illegal hunting in the forest - and they had brought their guns here, too. Swallowing heavily, he looked at the others, wincing when he saw an elderly man with them - Roland's father.  
"Good evening, Herr Baumann. How is your son?"  
The man glared at him. "He's in hospital, three ribs broken, his arm shattered and talking of a monster wolf that's in your house, Jim!"  
The young huntsman felt shame rise inside him again. "It's all my fault. I should never have asked him to come over, I'm sorry!"  
"I don't need any of your excuses, I want to know what the hell happened to my son here!" the old man roared to some approving murmurs from the villagers around him.  
"Is it true, Kirk?" Somebody from the side called. "Are you hiding the monster, or what?"  
"I'm hiding no monster, Krüger," Jim called back firmly. "It's true there is... something... in the woods that's threatening us, but it is no wolf!"  
" _Something??_ What do you mean, something?" Someone else asked. "You're the local gamekeeper, shouldn't you better know exactly what is killing people?" Agreeing murmurs again. Jim hesitated; he truly didn't want to start talking about magic and different worlds; there was a good chance nobody would listen to him anymore after the first sentence. But they were right - as their gamekeeper, he owed them some truth.  
"I don't know what it is," he began, looking everybody in the eyes he could see, "but I know it's not a wolf - or at least not a normal one-"  
"What do you mean? That there's some genetic experiment on the loose?" Anxious looks passed between the villagers. Again, Jim hesitated - there was a ready made excuse, but the news and social networks were already full of speculations about what caused the deaths of the tourists, and he didn't want to start a smear campaign against research facilities, which were always suspected of creating 'mutations'.

"I don't think it's man-made. It's... something else. Something sinister." Jim cringed inside at his own words. He sounded like some mad priest out of a horror movie.

"Sinister? Like - demonic?"  
"No! Well, not like a demon from hell, at least! I think it's a creature that wasn't meant to be here; that came here by accident-"  
"Jim," someone interrupted. "You're not making sense. Demons? Creatures? Are you drunk?"  
Jim sighed, running a hand trough his hair. "I know this sounds strange, but-"  
"Strange? This sounds completely mad!"  
"I KNOW!" he shouted, frustration growing with every second. "I know, okay? A few weeks ago I would have agreed with you, but now I've seen some things I cannot explain with logic alone, and I need you to believe me!"  
There was a moment of silence after that. Then Tom Wiesental, the mayor, a man he knew quite well, spoke up: "I... I believe you're not thinking straight right now, Jim. You need help. I think it's best if you come with us back to town, I always thought it's not healthy for a young man to live out here all alone-"  
"No, you don't understand, I'm not mad-" Jim began when Bones' voice in his head distracted him.  
_'I will show myself to them.'_  
Turning towards the hut, the blond man shook his head violently. "No, Bones! It's too risky!"  
_'I won't let them take you and lock you up, kid.'_  
"Bones, wait-" he called, but the wolf had already shut down the connection. Cursing, he turned back at the villagers who were staring at him like they were convinced now that he was utterly crazy.  
"You will get proof that there are special creatures in this world now, Gentlemen," he said quietly.  
The mayor's eyebrows knitted. "Jim, what-" he started, only to suddenly stop himself, eyebrows now shooting upwards on his face as he stared at something behind the hunter. "Oh- oh my goodness-"

Similar cries were heard from the others. Turning to look at his open front door, Jim saw Bones emerge from the shadows: the wolf looked even bigger in the fading light. Slowly, the canine descended the stairs of his porch, stopping a few meters away.  
The hunter looked at the others again. "Guys... This is Bones. He is my friend."

The silence that followed this time was longer; the five villagers staring open mouthed at the great wolf. The first to gather his wits again was Herr Baumann.  
"So it's true what Roland said! You've been hiding a giant wolf in your house, a dangerous beast!"  
"He is not dangerous!"  
"That is a wolf the size of a horse!! I would call that _damned_ dangerous!"  
"He is not a mindless beast, he is intelligent!"  
"Jim, how could you?" the mayor asked him, never taking his eyes off the animal. "How could you hide him, when he was killing all those people?"  
"Please believe me," Jim pleaded, getting desperate. Bones, feeling his agitation, grew uneasy too, ears and tail twitching. "It wasn't him! It was a creature from another world-"  
The words were out of his mouth before he could consider the effect they would have and immediately he knew he had lost them.

"He's mad," somebody yelled. "Completely mad!"  
"We need to put the wolf down, now! Before he gets hungry again!"  
"He's right!"  
"NO!!" Jim yelled, moving himself between them and Bones.  
"Step away, Kirk," the mayor ordered, all friendliness gone now. "You had your chance to do the right thing, now we are taking over!"  
"Move, he said," shouted Herr Baumann. Enraged, he stepped forward and tried to shove the young man to the side. Almost too quick for the eye, Bones moved forward to Jim's side, growling warningly. Screaming, the old man stumbled backwards, almost falling but catching himself.  
"SEE?" he roared. "THAT THING IS DANGEROUS! THINK OF WHAT IT DID TO MY SON!"  
Immediately, three men drew their guns, aiming them at the wolf who bared his teeth threateningly.  
"NO, STOP!" Jim shouted again, raising his hand and pushing the closest barrel down.

The rifle's butt coming at him was the last thing he saw before all went dark.

_'...Jim...'_

_'Wake up...'_

_'Jim, wake up, damnit!!'_

Groaning, he sat up. His head felt like it had taken a hit. _'Right, it has...'_ His memory was returning. _'Bones! Where is he? What happened?'_  
His brain was slow and heavy like lead. Carefully, he lifted a hand to his temple where the gun had connected with it. Pulling it away when he felt a sharp sting, he found blood on his fingertips.

_'Jim, thank the Great Spirit,'_ he heard the wolf's voice again, sounding relieved. _'I cannot hear you, but I feel your mind is awake again.'_  
The blond man frowned: his friend sounded agitated... hurried? Bones' thoughts were weaving in and out, as if his attention was not completely on their conversation. Lifting himself on hands and knees, the young man had to fight an urge to be sick.

_'After that human hit you with... with that stick, I lured them away. They followed me into the forest.'_  
The wolf paused and Jim could feel his shame. _'I am sorry, kid, but it was all I could do, get away or kill them all for threatening you. I thought you'd be upset then.'_

Besides the gravity of the situation, Jim rolled his eyes. _'No shit.'_  
Slowly, he lifted himself to his feet, blinking the bright spots away that appeared in front of his eyes. Making his way over to his house, he listened to Bones again.  
_'I am running along the perimeter of the forest; I won't take them too far in. My plan is to tire them out,'_  
Jim could feel a spark of humor through their connection. _'They are not even realizing I am leading them in circles.'_

Jim nodded to himself; he was glad the wolf had taken what had happened with Roland to heart and not simply murdered the villagers for panicking. Stepping inside the hut, he collected his keys and mobile phone - might be he still had to call an ambulance tonight. He glanced at his hunting rifle.  
_'Bones said the demon wolf cannot be killed with weapons. But... Would I shoot at Baumann and the others?'_  
Turning, he decided against the gun. _'I'm not trusting myself enough not to kill someone if they hurt Bones. Better not tempt me.'_  
He truly hoped this was not a mistake. Rounding the house, he hurried to the shack where he kept the old, battered pick-up truck he used as a gamekeeper ... and his bike.  
Mounting the jet-black BMW F650, he started the engine and felt the off-road motorcycle come awake with a growl. Steering her out of the shack, he turned to the forest.

_'Time to hunt the hunters.'_

 

The wolf could have laughed if he had been able to at how easily he evaded his chasers.  
It amused him greatly how they would still mindlessly charge on even though they had lost sight of him, waving their little lights around and shouting at each other. Sometimes, one of them would shoot at him with one of their fire-sticks, but now that he knew what to expect, they were not difficult to avoid.  
Still, he made sure to keep them at the edge of the woods; whenever they moved too far in, he let himself be seen and lured them into the opposite direction.  
_'The kid would be mad at me if I let the humans come to harm.'_

He had just changed course again to get closer to the border when a strange smell assaulted his senses.  
Slowing slightly, the wolf concentrated: where had he smelled this before? Then he knew.  
The sudden revelation let him come to a complete stop immediately and set all his senses on alert.

_'The demon! He is close!'_

Turning his head frantically in every direction, he tried to discern from where the now very potent smell of dark magic came, but it was difficult - it seemed to come from everywhere. Looking back at the villagers, he felt his heartbeat accelerate.  
_'I need to get them away from here!'_  
Charging back towards the humans, he let them catch sight of him once more.

"There it is! Shoot!"

Gracefully evading the missile, he turned away from the heart of the forest again, all of his senses extended as far as possible to find the source of the evil he felt. Glancing behind him, he was relieved to see the humans were, once again, following.  
_'The magic in the air gets stronger and stronger,'_ the wolf thought, ears shifting with every crack and shuffle in the undergrowth. _'It gets lighter in the distance, the border is near-'_

Suddenly the light was gone.

The wolf stopped, looking upwards - the stars had disappeared, too. Looking back, he could see the faint shine of the torches the humans carried with them vanish, one by one.  
_'We're too late.'_  
Engulfed in darkness, his other senses were heightened even further and though there was no telltale sound of the danger that was closing in, the characteristic smell of dark magic was so potent now that it made him almost sick. Still, he could hear and see nothing.  
_'I need to find it! I can feel it, it's here somewhere...'_  
And then he saw it.  
He had described it to Jim as a huge, black wolf but the words were too weak to do it justice: ever-shifting, constantly rearranging itself with only the vague resemblance of a canine, the demon seemed to possess no physical body. It was almost as if its body was the darkness itself, no light could have illuminated any detail; neither claw nor tail nor hair, besides the two incandesce eyes.  
Mutely, it stared down at them.

_'Be gone! You don't belong here,'_ Bones shouted telepathically, hoping the demon was even able to understand language. _'You belong to the magic kingdom!'_

The demon didn't answer in any way, just continued to stare at the little group with these unsettling, expressionless eyes. The wolf tried again, a low, dangerous growl accompanying his words.  
_'Back off, I said! There is no place for you here! This is my territory!'_

This time he got a reaction: the demon's eyes narrowed, the fire in them seemed to burn brighter with anger. Still making no sound but the quiet spitting of the fire, it suddenly moved forward and tried to hit the wolf with its massive, black claws. Expecting an attack, Bones leapt to the side in time, feral instincts making him even quicker.

_'There can be only one alpha wolf in this range!'_

With a battle roar that made the leaves on the trees tremble, he charged at his adversary.

 

Jim cursed a blue streak and accelerated his motorbike even more, meandering through the trees and bushes, not giving a damn about the scratches he received to his arms and face from them. He had heard what his lover had said and he did not like it: Bones fighting against the monster on his own filled him with dread.  
He concentrated again on the feeling of his lover - since he could hear the wolf's thoughts, it was easier to sense him, too. Right now, his friend was enraged; his anger pulsating through their link, shining like a beacon and pointing him out to Jim.  
_' It can't be much further in,'_ the human reassured himself. _'Bones said he'd stay close to the edge...'_

A sudden spike of pain almost made him fall off the bike.

"Bones! Shit, shit, shit!!"

He immediately knew it wasn't his pain - it was inside his head. His lover was hurt. But he was close; a sort of smoke was waving through the woods; black and thick and somehow...alive.  
Even when the pain was dulling, probably because Bones was trying to shield his friend from it, he was entering another clearing and there they were. Jim brought his bike to a stop without being able to take his eyes off the gigantic, looming figure of the demon.  
_'You've gotta be kidding me! We're fighting THAT??'_  
The smoke he had noticed before was coming off the thing, engulfing everything around it in darkness. He could make out sharp claws and a tail. And then there were those eyes... eyes that were currently looking down at something on the ground, a lifeless figure...

For a moment, Jim felt his heart stop. Before his mind had even registered who it was, his body had already reacted on its own, throwing aside the motorcycle and running over to the wolf.

"Bones! No!"

 

Throwing himself on the floor next to his friend, he grabbed the furry head and turned it towards him; relief flooding him and making him almost light-headed when he saw the massive chest rise and fall. The wolf was out cold and when Jim let go of his head, his left hand was bloody.  
Looking up at the demon, he noticed it was watching them closely, as if irritated by his the sudden arrival. Risking another glance at the villagers that had huddled up in a bunch, most of them clearly frightened out of their wits. Some had their guns raised, though, and were about to shoot.  
"Stay back," Jim yelled at them, "You can't harm it with guns!"  
It was more likely they would alert the demon to their presence who was still focused on Bones. Looking again at his love, Jim came to a decision. _'No idea if this will work.'_  
Getting up, he turned towards the dark spirit. Raising his arms to his sides, he stared directly into the fiery eyes.

"Go! Get lost! This isn't your world! We don't want you here!"

He had no clue if the thing had understood his words or not, but it did not stir and maintained its eerie quiet. Behind Jim, somebody shouted at him to run, but the young man had no intention to heed the advice. Still facing the fiend in an unequal standoff, his clear blue eyes were locked onto the red ones.

"Are you too stupid to understand?" he yelled again, louder. "I want you to leave us the hell alone!"  
Still, there was no further reaction than maybe a brighter glowing of the demon's eyes. Jim almost growled with impatience, his anxiety making him bold: Taking a deep breath, he shouted as loud as he could.  
"FUCK OFF!!"

This time, he got a reaction: Retreating somewhat, the spirit raised a smoky claw to strike. Squeezing his eyes shut, Jim knew had no way of deflecting the blow... yet it was all he could do to try to protect the wolf.

"Sorry, Bones." He whispered. Then the claw came down.

The force of the impact threw him backwards. Faintly, he registered landing on something soft.  
'Bones,' he thought to himself, twisting his neck to look at his friend one more time. To his surprise, the wolf's beautiful, hazel eyes were open, staring at him in horror and sorrow. Jim smiled. He felt pain, but it was fading already; darkness creeping in from the sides of his vision. The eyes in front of him became moist, shiny.

_'Huh... Never knew wolves could cry...'_

Closing his eyes, the last thing he heard was a long, grief-stricken howl.

 

Bones sensed his human's life force seep away, heard his heart slow down and even smelled death approaching; felt his love die with every sense he possessed. He looked into his bright, blue eyes with helpless horror until they dulled and Jim's eyes closed.  
Throwing his head back, he howled at the night sky and the stars that were still obscured, crying out his agony and utter, utter grief. The world seemed to come to a stop.

_'Jim... What have I done? How could I let this happen?'_

Turning his gaze back on the young man that was lying half on top of him and half on the moist earth, the wolf took a moment to regard the pale face. Jim looked peaceful, a small smile still on his face, as if he knew even in death he had not died in vain, had not died a coward but to protect the one he loved.  
_'Jim,'_ Bones whispered in his mind, _'You are a true wolf at heart. I would have been proud to have called you my mate.'_

Then, he laid down his head on the human's chest, listening his heart beat its last.

Only it didn't.

Raising himself again, Bones stared in bewildered wonder at the body in front of him - though every sense told him his love was fading, his heart was still beating.  
_'How can this be?'_  
Suddenly, his instincts alerted him to a strange smell and a new presence. He turned.

Behind him, a blue, glowing light had appeared, getting brighter and brighter until it was blinding him.  
Then, out of the light, a figure appeared; its shape reminiscent of a thin, tall human; but with delicate, translucent wings and twined, golden horns on the front of its head. Long, green hair was billowing out like cobwebs - the fairy queen.

Stunned, it took the wolf a moment to make sense of it all. Finally, he bowed his head. _'My lady.'_

_'Child,'_ the fairy answered, glowing, green eyes resting taxingly on the wolf. Her voice was lofty; almost austere. _'You have been absent from our kingdom for a long time.'_  
_'Yes,_ ' the wolf confirmed. _'I came here accidentally, and I... I decided to stay for a while.'_  
The taxing look intensified, green eyes narrowing, briefly resting on the villagers that seemed frozen in place. _'You have met creatures of this world.'_  
The wolf bowed his head again. _'They are not our enemies.'_  
_'Are they not? They were hunting you before.'_  
_'I... I know. But they are not all like them.'_  
The wolf looked down again at the man at his feet. The fairy followed his gaze, contemplating the human dispassionately.  
_'You claim this one is special? He has no magic. He only breathes yet because I have cast a spell on him,'_  
she gestured vaguely at their surroundings. _'On all of them.'_

Bones took a look around: it was true. It had not been his grief; the world had indeed come to a stop. Glancing at Jim again, he felt his heart beat fast again - he might yet have a chance to save his love. Unaware of his musings, the fairy queen continued to speak:  
_'The dark spirit has come after you, when the portal was still open. It was thoughtless of you to step through, but it was even more reckless to not return.'_

She was not expecting an answer, so the wolf kept silent.  
_'I will take the spirit away from here, it has done much harm. You will come with me, child.'_  
_'My lady, I wish to remain here,'_ Bones hurried to say. _'I ask of you to let me stay.'_  
The queen angled her horned head. _'Why?'_  
_'Because... I have found a mate here.'_ The wolf lowered his head, pressing his wet nose briefly against Jim's cheek. The fairy gasped audibly, green eyes widening.  
_'It can't be!'_  
_'It is true,'_ Bones assured her defiantly.  
She shook her head, her long hair rippling like waves. _'No, child, you are mistaken. You are of two different worlds. There is no place for you.'_  
_'He could come with us, into the magic kingdom-'_  
_'No,'_ she interrupted him forcibly. _'I will not allow it! He is a human, he has no magic-'_  
_'Then I will stay here!'_  
_'He will die!'_ The queen silenced him, a hint of pity now in her glowing eyes. _'When I leave, the spell will fade. He is gravely injured, he will die. There is nothing here for you, wolf.'_

Swallowing heavily, Bones closed his eyes; a single tear running down into his soft fur. He had already made his decision, though it was harder than he thought to voice it in his mind:  
_'Then... I will come with you, on one condition.'_  
_'What is it?'_  
The wolf opened his eyes again, golden hazel locking onto dark green. _'Save him. He was injured by magic; it is in your power to heal him. If you do so, I will go back.'_

The fairy was quiet for a long time. Finally, she spoke again: _'I do not owe you, wolf. But I owe the human, for it was one of my subjects that killed many of his kind. And he has tried to protect you, my child.'_  
She contemplated Jim again. _'A special one, indeed.'_  
Bones inclined his head. _'He is. And I love him, queen.'_  
_'And he would die for you.'_ Again, she stopped, seemingly shaken in her confidence. _'Can it be? Can it really be true that two souls are meant for each other, even though they are of two different worlds and of two different kinds? It is unheard of!'_  
Bones chuckled lowly. _'Love is blind, my lady. It doesn't care about these things.'_  
_'You are right.'_ She had made up her mind and looked at him very intently. _'Would you give it all, to be with him?'_  
The wolf nodded, hope flooding him like a wave. The queen sighed. _'Alas... I wish you good luck, child.'_

She raised her hands, white light engulfing the whole clearing.

 

A voice called his name.

_'Jim...'_

Was he dead? Was he asleep? There had been darkness... and then, a light.  
_'Listen to me, kid, wake up...'_  
"Bones?" he croaked, his voice breaking slightly on the single word. But if his voice could sound broken, that means-  
_'Yeah, you're still alive. Now open your eyes.'_  
Doing as he was told, Jim blinked and saw exactly the same thing as the time he had closed them: a pair of beautiful, hazel eyes. He smiled.  
"Bones! You sure I'm not dead? Cause this sure seems like heaven."  
Laughing lines appeared around the eyes, accompanied by a minor eye roll.  
"You humans sure have a liking for sappy expressions. Now, can you try to sit up?"  
"Uhm... yeah, I'll try," the blond man said, trying to get his arms and legs to function normally again. Bones helped him, his hands guiding him-

_'-Wait. Hands?'_

Blinking furiously to get rid of the rest of blurriness, Jim finally managed to sit upright and get a good look at his mate. What he saw stunned him into awed silence.

Bones grinned a bit sheepishly, awkwardly raising his hands to look at them. Balling the long fingers into fists, he marveled at the feeling, still strange and unfamiliar, but oddly pleasing.  
The blond man in front of him gaped openly, causing the former wolf's cheeks to take on a soft red hue. Suddenly, realization seemed to finally sink in and Jim grabbed him by the shoulders.  
"BONES!! YOU'RE... YOU'RE A HUMAN AGAIN!!"

Bones smiled, looking down at the other man's hands on him. Jim thought how incredibly great that small, tender smile looked on him.  
"Yes... The fairy queen turned me after she healed you and took the spirit with her."  
Jim stared. "I've no idea what you mean by 'fairy queen' or what the hell has happened but - holy shit, you look gorgeous!"  
Now Bones blushed deeply. Again Jim thought that it suited him.  
"I am glad you like it."  
" _Like?_ " His mate shook his head. "Bones - you've changed yourself again, for me! I can't believe you did that."  
Smiling, Bones raised a hand to Jim's face, pleased at the sensation. "You would have died for me, kid - I can't believe you did _that_."

The young man grinned, leaning in for a kiss but in that moment, the villagers that had been standing some distance away, silently staring at the two of them, made themselves known again.

"Jim! What was that?"  
"Yeah, that thing - is it gone now?"

Jim sighed. Standing up, he held up his hands to calm them. Briefly wondering what he should tell them, he exchanged a look with Bones, who inclined his head and nodded. "Tell them."  
He sighed again. "Okay, so there is this plant, Wolf's Bane..."

 

A while later, he fell silent, having related what he knew to the group.

"So," Tom, the mayor, hesitantly asked, gesturing at Bones. "This man... is the wolf we hunted? A werewolf?"  
"No, he is not a werewolf!" Jim shook his head firmly. "He is...was... a magical wolf, but now he's a man like you." _'Or at least almost,'_ he thought to himself. Noticing Bones was trying to stand, he offered him a hand, which his mate took gladly, but didn't let go again.  
Tom glanced at their joined hands, realizing what Jim wasn't saying.

"I see..." he mumbled. Removing his coat, he offered him to the tall, tanned man. "You should put something on."  
Bones took the offered garment and examined it. "Why do humans wrap themselves up in this? Are you always cold?"  
"Well...sometimes. We unfortunately don't have fur," the mayor smiled a bit uneasily. "And, uh, we don't usually run around naked. I'm sure Jim will explain that to you later... I expect you're living with him now."  
Turning, we looked at the other villagers. "I suggest we all go home now, it's quite late, our families will wonder where we are."  
The others murmured their agreement, some nodding at Jim in passing but all still warily eyeing Bones, as if expecting him to turn into a wolf again and charge. The hunter spoke up again.  
"Tom? Do I have your word that none of you are going to try to harm him again?"

The mayor stopped and looked back at them. "Not as long as he behaves like a human, Jim. We... we saw how he defended us from the... the black thing. So I guess we owe you an apology, uh.."  
"Bones." Jim offered.  
"Herr...Bones. You should probably come to town the next days, you know, get some clothing for yourself..."

Jim and Bones watched the men disappear into the night that was now illuminated by stars and moonlight again.  
For a while, neither said a word, simply listening to their voices fading in the distance.

"I guess tomorrow you'll be the talk of the town, Bones," the blond man whispered finally.  
"Yes," his mate nodded. "And they will have questions. I will answer them, Jim; I will do my best to fit in."  
"I know. But always know that I love you, the way you are."  
With that, Jim pulled the hazel-haired man towards himself, finally kissing him like he had wanted to do it from the moment he had laid eyes on his newly-transformed mate. After a few seconds of hesitance, he felt the former wolf answer back, wrapping him in his arms and purring into the kiss. Jim couldn't help but laugh at the sound which caused the other man to growl mock-dangerously. For all its playfulness, it effectively shut his mate up and Jim moaned as the deep sound sparked his arousal. He pulled back with some effort.  
"Damn, Bones! I have to get you home and out of this coat!"

His mate chuckled. "Can hardly wait, kid. The night is the natural time for mating for wolves, you know? So expect me to last long."

The blond man paused, surprised but incredibly pleased by his mate's flirting. Grinning, he took his hand again. "I'm counting on wolf-stamina. But it's my turn first!"  
Bones quirked an eyebrow. "Your turn to what?"  
"Have you never tried it the other way around?"  
"Uh...no."  
"Well, then you're in for a pleasant surprise, Bones!" His mate laughed and winked at him. Then, he looked around searchingly.

"So... Where the heck did I put my bike??"

 

And they lived happily ever after.  
^^y^^

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course they did, this is a fairy tale!! 
> 
> I really, really hope you liked the end. If you did, please let me know. If you didn't, too; but I really loved writing this - it was supposed to be light and sweet (and short) and turned out darker than intended because it's me, and I can't do light and sweet. Ah well...  
> I thank all my wonderful, amazing, beautiful reviewers and readers; it was a pleasure writing for you. And thank goodness there are some great movies out there that inspire us to write fanfiction. ;) Keep it up, folks.
> 
> Link to the two illustrations to the chapter: https://www.deviantart.com/flaus/art/Wolf-s-Bane-The-Fight-768993063  
> The second one: https://www.deviantart.com/flaus/art/Wolf-s-Bane-Hurt-768993643
> 
> Love, Coco


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